All students who will be on campus during the 1997-98
academic year must register for WSP. Registration will take place in the
early part of fall semester. If you are registered for a senior thesis
in the fall which must be continued through Winter Study by departmental
rules, you will be registered for your Winter Study Project automatically.
In every other case, you must complete registration. First-year students
are required to participate in a Winter Study that will take place on
campus; they are not allowed to do 99's.

Even if you plan to take a 99, or the instructor of
your first choice accepts you during the registration period, there are
many things that can happen between registration and the beginning of
Winter Study to upset your first choice, so you must list five choices.
You should try to make one of your choices a project with a larger enrollment,
not that it will guarantee you a project, but it will increase your chances.

If you think your time may be restricted in any way
(ski meets, interviews, etc.), clear these restrictions with the instructor
before signing up for his/her project.

Remember, for cross-listed projects, you should sign
up for the subject you want to appear on your record.

For many beginning language courses, you are required
to take the WSP Sustaining Program in addition to your regular project.
You will be automatically enrolled in this Sustaining Program, so no one
should list this as a choice.

The grade of honors is reserved for outstanding or exceptional
work. Individual instructors may specify minimum standards for the grade,
but normally, fewer than one out of ten students will qualify. A grade
of pass means the student has performed satisfactorily. A grade of perfunctory
pass signifies that a student's work has been significantly lacking but
is just adequate to deserve a pass.

If you have any questions about a project, see the instructor
before you register.

Finally, all work for WSP must be completed and submitted
to the instructor no later than Thursday, January 29th. Only the Dean
can grant an extension beyond this date.

WINTER STUDY 99'S

Sophomores, juniors and seniors are eligible to propose
"99's," independent projects arranged with faculty sponsors, conducted
in lieu of regular Winter Study courses. Perhaps you have encountered
an interesting idea in one of your courses which you would like to study
in more depth, or you may have an interest not covered in the regular
curriculum. In recent years students have undertaken in-depth studies
of particular literary works, interned in government offices, assisted
in foreign and domestic medical clinics, conducted field work in economics
in developing countries, and given performances illustrating the history
of American dance. Although some 99's involve travel away from campus,
there are many opportunities to pursue intellectual or artistic goals
here in Williamstown.

99 forms are available in the Registrar's Office. The
deadline for submitting the proposals to faculty sponsors is Thursday,
25 September.

AFRICAN AND MIDDLE EASTERN STUDIES

AMES 025 From the
Classical to the Islamic Worlds in Jordan and Syria (Same as Religion
025)

This course will offer students an opportunity to acquire
an understanding of the theoretical and aesthetic principles of Chinese
calligraphy as one of the highest art forms in China practiced by the
literati. We will also look into the relationship between Chinese painting
and calligraphy from various perspectives: artistic theories, techniques,
and the practice of inscribing painting in China. Technical instruction
will be included in this class.
Evaluation is based on class participation and a project of choice (scholarly
or artistic). The class will meet two times per week for three hours.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limited to 15.
Meeting time: mornings.

What exactly is put on public display in an art exhibition?
Is it cultural spectacle or personal polemic? Who is the auteur: the artist
or the curator? These and other issues of exhibition theory and practice
will be discussed in regard to real and hypothetical examples. In addition
to dissecting exhibitions at WCMA and the Clark (and consulting with their
curators), the class will study historically significant events such as
the Impressionist exhibitions and the Armory Show. Two trips to New York
will allow critiques of shows currently on view there and discussions
with New York curators. Projects will include writing reviews and inventing
various types of exhibitions. In addition, the group will propose an actual
exhibition for a small gallery in WCMA. The class will meet two hours,
two or three times a week, plus two day-trips to New York.
Students will be evaluated on class participation, two reviews of exhibitions,
and two exhibition proposals.
No prerequisite. Enrollment limited to 10.
Cost to student: $50 for book, photocopies, and field trips.
Meeting time: afternoons.

NANCY MOWLL MATHEWS (Instructor)
E. J. JOHNSON (Sponsor)

Nancy Mowll Mathews has organized over fifty art exhibitions
and published eight books investigating various aspects of European and
American modernism. She has her Ph.D. in art history from NYU's Institute
of Fine Arts and was formerly Associate Professor at Randolph-Macon Women's
College. She is Eugenie Prendergast Curator in the Williams College Museum
of Art and teaches in the Williams College Graduate Program in the History
of Art.

The course is a study of the origins and developments
in Egyptian major arts and architecture from the start of the Pharonic
era until the time of the Romans. Considerable attention will also be
paid to the "minor arts" such as small sculpture, jewelry, and other important
crafts, as independent works and their relationship in style and intent
to the major sculpture and painting of their day. However, unlike many
Egyptian art courses, it will not limit itself to a study of the arts
per sé but will attempt to see them in the larger context of the
culture, country, personages, and beliefs that created and modified them.
This will include some attention to geology, geography, climatology, politics,
historical events, and religion, all necessary to present the arts in
their proper context as highly integrated parts of the civilization and
not standing alone.
Art is a window into a historical period and way of life, and in many
cases is our only source of information. Sometimes the information is
inaccurate and the intent then becomes to study actual objects versus
their representations in the major arts and see how close to or far from
reality the representations are. Certain aspects of the study can be illuminated
by the crafts and living methods of modern rural Egypt, in some ways a
time-capsule, nearly unchanged from the Pharonic era. The goal is to appreciate
and understand the masterly and often delightful creations of this talented
and occasionally innovative people.
There are no prerequisites beyond interest, a questioning mind, and a
schedule which permits attending the classes. The course will be a slide-illustrated
lecture with time for questions and discussion. The slides were taken
by the lecturer in Egypt and from the great museum collections. It is
hoped there will be opportunity to see or utilize the Williams College
Museum of Art's Egyptian collection. The text, which supplements the lectures,
is The Art and Architecture of Ancient Egypt by W. Stevenson Smith, and
there will be an accompanying packet on history, as well as handouts on
other appropriate topics as they come up.
An acceptable 10-page research paper, to be approved by the instructor
and handed in the last Wednesday of lecture, is required.
Meeting time: mornings.

LENORE CONGDON (Instructor)
OCKMAN (Sponsor)

Lenore Congdon, Ph.D. in Art History from Harvard, has
lectured on Egyptian art and culture at Williams as well as other colleges
and museums in New England. A member of the International Association
of Egyptologists and The American Research Center in Egypt, Dr. Congdon
has traveled and photographed extensively in Egypt.

Arguably the most complex site designs hereabouts, often
involving many buildings and even hundreds of acres, are those "institutional"
complexes involving education, although in Albany there are, as well,
at least two office campuses (one of the public and the other of the private
sector), and, near Troy, an industrial park campus. The purpose of this
course is to study, during each week, these multi-building sites, both
through one day of classroom discussions on readings and through two days
of site visits, should the weather cooperate. That means, during the three-and-half
week Winter Study Period, we may visit some eight (or so) campuses which
should represent the spectrum of regional examples, among which could
be: a 1960s and a 1980s office as well as industrial campus; a large public
university; boarding schools on a "green field" site and on a converted
estate; a community (commuters') college; a private residential college;
a campus in an older downtown setting; and a campus founded two centuries
ago. The site visits will be directed to how such problems as circulation,
utilities (and new technologies), building interrelationships and functions,
fund-raising campaigns, historic preservation, open space, and interactions
with adjacent environments have been historically solved. We should encounter
engineers, architects, maintenance staff, faculty and students, administrators
such as treasures, and others creating or using these spaces. A final
paper should compare a (distant?) campus of one's own choosing with the
panoply of reading and regional examples proffered in this course.
Cost to student: $50 estimated for (van) travel and readings.
Meeting time: afternoons.

The definition of what constitutes drawing and how drawing
is made has broadened tremendously in recent history. Many artists today,
such as Donald Sultan, and Nancy Spero use a wide variety of previously
unrecognized methods and materials to create their work.
This course will have students explore non-traditional methods of creating
drawing. Students will experiment with unexpected and unusual materials,
as well as use traditional media in an untraditional fashion. For example:
methods might include pouncing, stenciling and staining; media might include
soot, tar, and plant extract. There will be slide presentations of artists
whose work incorporates non traditional methods and materials. There will
also be class critiques following each assignment.
Grading takes into account attendance, effort, creativity, and participation.
It is expected that student spend at least 12 hours per week on independent
work outside of class.
Prerequisite: ArtS 100. Enrollment limited to 15.
Cost to student: $40
Meeting time: afternoons.

JANE MASTERS (Instructor)
PODMORE (Sponsor)

Jane Masters is an artist who makes drawings and sculptures.
She lives and works between Bennington, VT and New York City. She received
her MFA from San Diego, CA, and has exhibited throughout the country.

This course will introduce the student to environmental
art and site-specific installations. Topics covered will include the history
and development of environmental work from the Constructivists through
present day artists, performance art in relation to environmental work
including Happenings, basic art making concepts (Including repetition,
direction, biomorphism), and the use of traditional and non-traditional
materials. Discussions will include the place of installation art in the
contemporary art world and in art history. A brief and basic introduction
to methods and materials will lead quickly into a first assignment of
a small classroom installation (1'x1'x1'). Students will spend the remainder
of the time developing a larger scale site-specific project of a personal
nature.
Students will be evaluated on the basis of regular attendance and class
participation. Students will be expected to keep a daily journal/sketchbook,
complete several small lab assignment, participate in discussions and
critiques, and create one completed installation for a final open studio/exhibition.
Class will meet twice a week for three hour sessions. In addition, students
will be expected to work during open lab hours in the studio. Student
will be expected to resolve outside time conflicts in favor of the course.
Interested students should consult with the Department Chair prior to
registration.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limited to 15.
Cost to student: $75 for supplies.
Meeting time: afternoon lectures and lab time.

RAY NEUFELD '91 (Instructor)
TAKANAGA (Sponsor)

Ray Neufeld '91 has exhibited his sculptural installations
and drawings at galleries and museums from New York to Oregon. In addition
he has worked on scenic and lighting design for theater and television.

This course is designed to be a "hands on" exploration
of this uniquely photographic narrative form. By way of introduction,
the class will cover the evolution and history of the photo essay in this
century, citing some of the profound social and cultural impacts it has
had. The work of notable photographers such as W. Eugene Smith, Dorothea
Lange, and other will be reviewed for inspiration and technique.
The emphasis of the class, however, will be on the student's producing
photo essays of his or her own, and on group discussion and critiquing
of the results. Since authenticity is a hallmark of the photo essay form,
class discussion will include methods for how best to approach sensitive
subjects, to be the "unobserved observer," and how to modify photographic
technique accordingly. The month's study will culminate in a collaborative
class project documenting "A Day in the Life of Williams College."
Students will be evaluated based on class and project participation, and
the successful completion of photographic assignments. Since student photographic
work will be in black and white photography, including film processing,
printing and mounting, are prerequisites.
Lecture/discussion sessions will meet three days a week. Students will
also be expected to spend extensive periods of time both shooting their
photo essays and producing contact sheets and finished photographs in
regularly scheduled darkroom labs.
Students who have completed ARTS 257 are eligible, as are those who demonstrate
the required skills by submitting a portfolio of their work. Ownership
of a 35mm SLR camera and a wide angle, normal and telephoto lens are recommended.
Enrollment limited to 12.
Cost to student: $125 for film, paper, and chemicals.
Meeting time: morning classes; afternoon darkroom labs.

JOHN S. SEAKWOOD '71 (Instructor)
LALEIAN (Sponsor)

John Seakwood '71 is a widely published professional
photographer with twenty years experience.

This course introduces students to Buddhist thought
both by comparing various Tibetan works such as The Path to Bliss, a meditation
manual written by His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama, and by daily
early morning meditation sessions. Our aim will be to provide a survey
of Buddhist methods that are used to develop detachment, love, compassion
and insight into the nature of reality.
Requirements: the reading of selected meditation manuals, weekly exams,
and attendance at daily weekday early-morning (8:00 a.m.) meditation and
discussion sessions.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limited to 20.
Meeting time: mornings.

JOSHUA and DIANE CUTLER (Instructors)
FROST (Sponsor)

Joshua and Diane Cutler are the Executive Director and
the Associate Director of the Tibetan Buddhist Learning Center in Washington,
New Jersey.

How do the Chinese celebrate? Through readings, discussions
and practical "hands on" experience we will explore how Chinese have traditionally
celebrated popular holidays and religious festivals. Topics will include
the religious and cultural meanings of the various festivals, regional
differences in how holidays are celebrated, the roles of different members
of the traditional Chinese family, the preparation (and eating!) of festival
foods, calligraphy and taiji exercises.
Requirements: active participation in class sessions and a 10-page final
paper.
No prerequisites.
Meeting time: afternoons.

The travel course aims to introduce the students to
the complexity of contemporary Japanese culture beyond stereotypes and
simplification. Complexity will be experienced in four main different
arenas: (i) locality, (ii) cultural production, (iii) lifestyles, and
(iv) intercultural communication. We will sojourn in three well distinct
cultural/geographical areas of Japan: the Tokyo region in western Japan
(11 days), the Kansai region in central Japan (5 days), and Okinawa in
the south (5 days). We will be able to familiarize ourselves with several
aspects of culture and lifestyle in those areas. Particular attention
will be devoted to museums, performing arts, temples and other historical
sites, cuisine, dialectal differences (for the students of Japanese),
political and economic issues. Meetings will be organized with Japanese
university students to exchange ideas and impressions and promote intercultural
understanding. Students will be required to observe carefully the Japanese
cultural reality, formulate questions, and express their impressions in
a journal that will be used for final grading.
Evaluation of the students will be based on their observations and comments
both during the trip and in their journal. Interested students must consult
with the instructor before registering for the course. Prior to departure,
a two-day seminar for a total of six hours will be organized to give participants
a basic orientation on Japan and the basic goals of the course.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limited to 20.
Cost to student: approximately $3500.

Students registered for Japanese 101-102 are required
to attend and pass the Japanese Sustaining Program. Classes meet Mondays,
Tuesdays, and Thursdays from 9:00-9:50 a.m.
Requirements: regular attendance and active class participation.
Prerequisite: Japanese 101.
Cost to student: one Xerox packet.

This course, meant for non-majors, will focus on the
most basic aspects of astronomy and will be observing-intensive, taking
full advantage of various telescopes housed on the Williams College observing
deck. Topics to be covered will include the constellations and night sky
in general, planets, the moon, the sun, stars, and galaxies. Study of
these topics will require a mix of both day and night class sessions during
which students will be required to make observations using binoculars,
telescopes, and the naked eye. Student observations will be recorded in
drawings, notes, and computer printouts and/or photographs.
Observing will take place on all class dates during which the sky is clear.
On those days when the sky is cloudy, we will do in-class exercises or
discuss current topics in astronomy such as results from the Hubble Space
Telescope.
Enrollment limited to 15.
Meeting time: afternoons, with evening observing sessions.

S. Martin (Instructor)
Jay M. Pasachoff (Sponsor)

Stephan Martin, the Department's Observatory Supervisor/Instructor,
received his B.A. in Physics and Astronomy from Colgate in 1989, and his
M.A. in Physics from the University of Wyoming in 1993. Prior to coming
to Williams, he worked as a Data Analyst at the Space Telescope Science
Institute in Baltimore.

We will examine the identity of the Polish people through
study of their history, cooking, folkart, and literature. Class will begin
with reading and discussion of major events in Polish history. Participants
in the course will then prepare and consume four traditional Polish meals.
We will try our hands at making intricately decorated Easter eggs, straw
ornaments, and paper cutouts. We will also read and discuss a translation
of one of the pivotal pieces of Polish literature, Pan Tadeusz. Students
are expected to provide their own transportation to my kitchen which is
about 1.5 miles from campus.
Evaluation will be based on participation and completion of a 10-page
paper or, for students with special talents, a 5-page paper and completion
of a work of folkart.
Enrollment limited to 8.
Cost to student: approximately $40 for books.
Meeting time: mornings.

Lions, tigers, and bears, oh my! Or maybe ravens, slugs,
and orchids. Whatever organism you think is the neatest, this is your
chance to sing its praises! This course will celebrate various organisms
featured in a variety of liberal arts disciplines--in literature, film,
history, economics, etc. During the first few weeks as a class we'll look
at a representative or two from each of the following groups: viruses
and bacteria, insects, and plants. Each will be explored from the perspective
of natural science, social science, and the humanities. For example, a
presentation on cockroaches might combine readings from the book The cockroaches
of Stay More by Donald Harington with a discussion of the evolutionary
and social history of cockroaches. We might examine the genetic basis
for kernel color in Indian corn, explore the plant's domestication in
the New World, and cuisines that feature Zea mays. Each student will choose
his/her favorite organism to research, incorporating and integrating all
three liberal arts perspectives into his/her study. The results of that
exploration will be submitted as a 10-page paper. In addition, each student
will produce a piece of original work (for ex., a scientific experiment,
a video project, or a piece of creative writing) centered around their
chosen organism. During the last week of classes each student will share
the major accomplishments of his/her multifaceted organism with the rest
of the class in a brief class presentation.
Evaluation will be based on class attendance and on the final paper/creative
project. Class will meet three times per week.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limited to 12.
Cost to student: approximately $30 for books.
Meeting time: afternoons.

This course will examine contemporary issues in medical
ethics. The first type of issue that we will discuss regards decisions
that are made in the practice of medicine. For example, a current topic
of great interest in this area is whether physicians should help a terminally
ill patients end their own lives. Another example of this type of issue
is whether a genetic counselor should perform a test to allow parents
to learn the sex of their fetus, knowing that the parents will abort if
the fetus is of a particular sex. A second type of ethical issue that
we will investigate includes larger social issues related to health care.
For example, should we ration the use of expensive medical technologies
so that we can provide some minimal level of basic medical services for
all of our citizens? Also, global problems such as AIDS will be examined;
if expensive protease inhibitors prove to be effective treatment for HIV
infection and AIDS, what are our obligations to the 90% of AIDS patients
who live in developing countries? Finally, future problems such as what
to do about the potential for cloning humans will be examined. In discussing
these and other issues, we will attempt to understand the moral reasons
underlying opposing positions. A major goal of the course is to help participants
not only understand these difficult issues but also to develop their own
reflections whenever possible.
Short reading will be assigned for each class, and active, thoughtful
participation is expected. Students will have a choice of writing a 10-page
paper regarding an issue of particular interest, or 3 short case commentaries.
Students of all backgrounds, majors, and career goals are encouraged to
enroll, including "nonscience persons."
No prerequisites. Enrollment limited to 15.
Cost to student: approximately $50 for books and articles.
Meeting time: afternoons.

MATTHEW ISSAC FOGG (Instructor)
THEILING (Sponsor)

Matt Fogg is a third year medical student at New York
University where he recently completed the Arthur Zitrin Fellowship in
Medical Ethics.

This course will consider some of the complex interactions
between diet, exercise, and the body's metabolism. A partial list of topics
include: how different types of food are used in the body; how training
influence metabolism; how metabolism influences performance; muscle metabolism
during exercise; and long-term considerations of diet and health. The
student can evaluate his/her exercise performance in the laboratory.
Method of evaluation and required activities: 2 short papers (2 pages)
relating to assigned readings and a 3rd paper on a topic of the students'
choosing will be required. Also, student will be required to maintain
a personal log of food consumption and amount of exercise to calculate
personal energy balance. The course will meet three times per week with
occasional extra meetings for performance analysis and demonstrations.
No prerequisites. This course is intended for non-science majors. Enrollment
limited to 30.
Cost to student: approximately $5 for reading packets.
Meeting time: mornings.

While the practice of medicine in the 50s and 60s was
characterized by great optimism, that of the 80s and 90s is becoming increasingly
pessimistic. Many diseases which should have been conquered are on the
rise and frightening new ones keep appearing. Is there a fundamental failure
in our approach to medicine? We will take an evolutionary and ecological
perspective on this problem, considering the origins and potential treatments
for various diseases in this light. The list of diseases we will consider
includes various viral and bacterial infections (e.g. AIDS, Lyme disease,
tuberculosis), skin and breast cancer, autoimmunity, diabetes, malaria,
asthma, and prion based diseases. Class will meet three times per week
and will be a combination of lecture and discussion. This course should
be of interest to both the committed pre-med and the medically curious,
so there is no prerequisite. Basics in evolution, ecology, and biology
will be covered, at the same time that the potential for very sophisticated
analysis of each disease.
Evaluation will be based on class participation and a final 10-page paper.
Enrollment limited to 20.
Cost to student: approximately $45 for books and a reading packet.
Meeting time: afternoons.

LEE VENOLIA (Instructor)
W. DEWITT (Sponsor)

The instructor is a former Assistant Professor in the
Biology Department and is trained in genetics.

BIOL 015 Natural History
of the Berkshires (Same as Environmental Studies 015)

We are fortunate in Williamstown to be surrounded by
a variety of natural areas. In this course we will explore some of these
natural areas, and study the natural history of the plants and animals
that inhabit them. We will take field trips to a variety of sites to gain
an appreciation for the diversity of natural communities that occur near
Williamstown. Students will become familiar with common plants and will
learn to identify them in winter. We will not neglect animals, although
they are harder to observe. Students will learn to identify animal tracks
and will look for overwintering insects. In addition, some field trips
will be devoted to learning about birds. We will also consider how the
climate, topography, and human uses of each site have shaped the ecological
community, and discuss the adaptations that allow local animals and plants
to survive New England's winters. The course will consist primarily of
field trips, so students should be prepared to spend time outside. Snowshoes
will be used if necessary.
Requirements: a 10-page paper and class participation.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limited to 12.
Cost to student: less than $40 for materials and snowshoe rental.
Meeting time: mornings and some all day field trips.

The New England landscape is an ever-changing tapestry
that is the product of physical, biological, and historical factors. One
representative bit of this mosaic is the 60-acre Moon Lot nestled in the
center of the Hopkins Memorial Forest. A subsistence farm from the Eighteenth
Century until the mid-1950s, the Moon Farm was the subject of a 12-minute
16mm black-and-white film made by a WSP course in January, 1973. Since
that time, the Moon Barn has been relocated to the entrance of the Hopkins
Forest, woodlands have reclaimed much of the site, and media technology
has undergone important changes. The objective of this course is to analyze
and document the changes that have occurred on the site over the past
quarter-century. The original film will be transferred to sVHS video format
and new video footage will be taken and edited to produce a half-hour
video interpreting the continued changes in the land as exemplified by
the Moon Lot.
Requirements: participation in the research, writing, taping, and editing
the project.
Enrollment limited to 15.
Cost to student: none.
Meeting time: mornings.

The popular press would have us believe that the AIDS
pandemic is a unique example of a viral pathogen causing cultural, political,
and behavioral changes in society. In fact, infectious diseases and viral
epidemics have impacted society throughout recorded history. This course
will examine the intersection of infectious disease and society. The basic
biology of viruses will be covered in context of examining the impact
of viruses on human history and politics. The current interest in emerging
viruses will also be examined with a focus on the social, economic, ecological,
and cultural factors which induce episodes of novels to see how the representation
of infectious diseases has evolved. How viruses have been portrayed by
the entertainment industry, in both the print and film media, will be
considered for their accuracy and intent.
Evaluation will be based on class participation, two short papers (2-3
pages) relating to assigned readings and films, and a presentation.
Enrollment limited to 30.
Meeting time: mornings.

This course will introduce intermediate-level students
of chemistry to advanced techniques in Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR)
spectrometer operation that are employed in modern molecular structure
analysis. Topics covered in the course will include basic spectrometer
architecture, the fundamentals of NMR theory, spin-spin coupling interactions,
simple decoupling experiments, simple multinuclear applications, and multipulse
sequence experiments. Special emphasis will be placed on powerful "one-dimensional"
and "two-dimensional" analysis techniques, including (1D): Distortionless
Enhancement by Polarization Transfer (DEPT) and Nuclear Overhauser (NOE)
difference spectra and (2D): H,H Correlation Spectroscopy ("H,H, COSY")
and H,C COSY and C,C COSY ("2D INADEQUATE"). Class members will be trained
in the operation of the Chemistry Department's new NMR console and data
station and problem sets and the final class project will be carried out
on this instrumentation. A command of introductory organic chemistry will
be required.
The course will consist of three lectures and completion of one "spectrometer-based
problem set" per week. Students will be expected to plan for and schedule
spectrometer use in view of other Chemistry Department NMR spectrometer
needs and regular due dates for problem sets. Student evaluation will
be based upon attendance and participation in class, problem sets, and
one ten page paper detailing a structural analysis using advanced NMR
techniques.
Prerequisite: Chemistry 201-202. Enrollment limited to 8.
Cost to student: textbook and a packet of photocopied materials.
Meeting time: mornings.

RICHARDSON

CHEM 011 Science
for Kids (Same as Environmental Studies 011 and Special 011)

(See under Special for full description.)

CHEM 012 Applying
the Scientific Method to Archaeology and Paleoanthropology

Archaeological studies, which consider the human impact
on the environment, can include materials as recent as nineteenth-century
glass, or as old as stone tools from hundreds of thousands of years ago.
And paleoanthropology, the study of early human remains, covers materials
that are millions of years old. Natural science can answer a wide variety
of questions for researchers in the field, not just how old an object
is, but also where, how, and sometimes why an object was made. These answers
in turn tell us about patterns of human development and settlement, and
also help us distinguish forgeries from genuine artifacts.
The course will consist of approximately two weeks of class meetings and
readings, after which students will select a project either in the lab
or based on the readings. At the end of Winter Study, students will present
their results to the class and submit a 5-7 page written report.
Evaluation will be based on class participation, completion of the project,
and submission of a satisfactory report.
Prerequisite: a high school chemistry course; college-level chemistry
is not required.
Enrollment limited to 12.
Cost to student: approximately $5 for reading packet.
Meeting time: mornings.

ANNE SKINNER (Instructor)
THOMAN (Sponsor)

Anne Skinner is a Senior Lecturer in Chemistry at Williams.

CHEM 013 Genetics
and Disease: the Biology, Psychology, and Ethics of Genetic Testing (Same
as Psychology 013 and Special 013)

How much of a role do your genes play in disease? What
is genetic testing? What are the social and public policy issues surrounding
genetic testing? This course will provide current information on how disease-related
genes are identified, the availability and reliability of genetic tests,
and the actual testing methods in current use. We will consider the contribution
of genetic predisposition toward illness compared with other known risk
factors, including behavior, personality, and stress. We will also discuss
the myriad ethical, moral and economic issues that surround genetic testing
and counseling. With the completion of the Human Genome Project in 2005,
decisions regarding who will be tested and who will have access to this
information will be addressed by both judicial and legislative bodies.
Our goal for this course is to supply you with sufficient scientific information
and theoretical perspective that you will be able to make significant
contributions to the coming public discussion of these complex issues.
The class will meet three times per week for two hours. Approximately
50% of class time will be spent in group discussion of selected readings.
Students will prepare three written evaluations of case studies, and will
critique each others' writing in class. The final meeting will be devoted
to an in-class debate.
Evaluation will be based on participation in class discussions and debate,
and by the written assignments.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limited to 24.
Cost to student: none.
Meeting time: mornings.

A course designed to prepare students for the Massachusetts
EMT exam and to provide training to become MA-certified Emergency Medical
Technicians. This is a time-intensive course involving 100 hours of class
plus 10 hours of emergency room and ambulance work. Students will learn,
among other skills, basic life support techniques, patient assessment
techniques, safe transportation and mobilization skills, as well as the
treatment of various medical emergencies, including shock, bleeding, soft-tissue
injuries, and child birth.
Students will most likely take the EMT exam in February, following completion
of the course. In addition, the class may meet a few times at the end
of the fall semester in order to reduce the
number of class hours during Winter Study Period.
Enrollment limited to 24 students.
Cost to student: $200/student plus approximately $70 for textbook, stethoscope,
and BP cuff.
Meeting time: mornings and afternoons.

KEVIN GARVEY (Instructor)
RICHARDSON (Sponsor)

Kevin Garvey is a Massachusetts state and nationally
approved EMT-I (Intermediate) and an EMT-IC (Instructor-coordinator).
He has been involved with Emergency Medical Service for 15-20 years. Mr.
Garvey currently works as an EMT-I at Village Ambulance, Williamstown,
and is also an EMT training instructor at Greenfield Community College.

An introduction to the basics of brewing beer, this
course is designed to increase your appreciation of the art of brewing.
Equipment, ingredients, and methodology will be discussed in detail and
used in practice. Students will learn clean brewing techniques and brew
one small batch of beer. Other topics covered in the course will include
the history, chemistry, and politics of brewing beer. In addition to brewing,
we will spend time learning to evaluate critically some of the major varieties
of beer.
We will hold three 2- to 3-hour sessions per week, depending on the activities
of the day. Students are expected to attend all sessions and participate
in the class field trips. Students are expected to keep and hand in for
evaluation, a notebook recording their experiments in brewing, tasting,
and information from field trips. In addition, participants are required
to research and produce an 8- to 10-page paper on some topic related to
the course with the topic approved by the instructor. Students will present
their findings to the rest of the class in short presentations at the
end of the course. As a creative task, each student shall design and present
to the class their very own beer label.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limited to 12 students who are at least 21
years in age.
Cost to student: $30 covering xeroxing, notebook, field trip, consumables
and equipment.
Required text: The New Complete Joy of Home Brewing, Charlie Papazian.
Meeting time: afternoons.

MARK NUTCHER and DAVID BACKUS (Instructors)
THOMAN (Sponsor)

Mark Nutcher has a B.S. from the University of Oregon
and an M.A. from the University of Colorado. David Backus has a B.A. from
Haverford College and expects his Ph.D. in Summer 1997 from the University
of Washington, Seattle.

An experimental project will be carried out under the
supervision of a member of the Department in fields such as biochemistry,
inorganic chemistry, organic chemistry, or physical chemistry.
A 10-page written report is required. Nonscience majors are invited to
participate.
Prerequisite: variable, depending on the project (at least Chemistry 101)
and permission of the Department. Enrollment limited to 12.
Cost to student: none.
Meeting time: mornings.

One of the most delightful and influential of all the
authors of Classical Antiquity was Ovid. His vast compendium of classical
mythology, the Metamorphoses, contains the versions of Greek and Roman
myths that are the most familiar to us. And when we look at a painting
or sculpture of a mythological scene a primary source is almost invariably
Ovid. Shakespeare knew his Ovid well, and until the Romantic Era Ovid
was regarded among the most important classical authors. The Metamorphoses
was read for the sheer joy of its pagan wit and narrative skill, as an
allegory of Christian virtues, and even as foreshadowing the New Testament.
Despite all the delight Ovid has provoked, the Metamorphoses remains an
enigma in its design, narrative technique, and intent. Two thousand lines
longer than the Aeneid, many critics have denied that it is an epic, while
the rest cannot agree about its subject and intent. Ovid is recognized
as a master storyteller, but there is little consensus about what is at
the heart of his exuberant word play. And the significance of his central
theme-the metamorphosis of a figure from one form into another-is still
widely debated.
In this course we will read all of the Metamorphoses. After an introductory
lecture we will move as the Muses beckon to discussion of certain stories
as we seek to understand aspects of Ovid's narrative technique, the `purpose'
of his work, and its lasting influence. A paper of moderate length and
open discussion of the topics at hand will be required.
No prerequisites save an ability to read, think, and enjoy an intensely
varied narrative. Enrollment limited to 30.
Cost to student: approximately $15 for the text.
Meeting time: mornings.

This course will enable students to read the Bible in
the original Hebrew in a fast, fun, and focused way. Topics include the
difference between BeGeD-KeFeT, BuMaF, K'MiNPaTS, and the Throaty Five.
Meet sentences without verbs, the extra pronoun, and word pairs. Discover
a word's three letter root and explore the mysteries of the Shwa and Dagesh.
Learn the seven `buildings' of the Hebrew verb and find the missing letters.
In addition to this intensive study of Hebrew vocabulary and grammar,
attention will also be given to the polyvalence of biblical discourse.
The paratactic and terse character of the TaNaKH produce narratives tantalizingly
`fraught with background' that virtually cry out to the reader `interpret
me'. Thus by the end of the course students will have read the Book of
Ruth with an understanding of both biblical language and biblical style.
Students will be evaluated on the basis of regular attendance, preparation,
and class participation. In addition, students will be required to prepare
a translation and grammatical commentary of 10-15 verses selected from
the Book of Genesis as a final project. In order to facilitate the learning
of Hebrew in a month, the course includes frequent quizzes and homework
assignments. The course will meet three days a week for three hours a
day covering three chapters per session. Students are expected to spend
at least four hours preparing for each class. Because of the intensive
nature of this course regular attendance and preparation are essential.
No prerequisites or previous experience in Hebrew required. Enrollment
limited to 20.
Cost to student: $35.00 covering textbook and copies.
Meeting time: mornings.

This course is an introduction to the fundamentals of
digital sound generation and manipulation, specifically techniques used
in music. The lectures will provide an overview of the physics and psychophysics
of sound, its digital representation, and mathematical manipulation. Following
this, we will examine various techniques for processing and synthesizing
sound, and see how these techniques have actually been implemented in
"state of the art" synthesizers over the past 20 years.
During lab sessions, students will be able to experiment with these techniques
to process and synthesize sounds and design "instruments." Additional
topics covered will include non-real time synthesis techniques and algorithmic
composition.
There will be a term project, though the subject and emphasis of the project
will be up to the individual student. Projects may range, for example,
from designing and implementing new synthesis techniques to writing and
producing a fully computer-generated musical composition.
Prerequisites: a background in music or programming, and at least a user's
familiarity with computers. Mathematics at least through pre-calculus
is recommended. Enrollment limited to 20.
Cost to student: texts.
Meeting time: afternoons.

Sachs

CSCI 012 How to Solve
it: The Mathematics of Puzzles and Games (Same as Mathematics 012)

In this course, students will learn the fundamental
issues facing animators in the fast lane of today's high-end special effects
field through hands-on experience under the direction of some of the most
talented animators in the business, the Kleiser-Walczak Construction Co.,
a computer graphics firm specializing in high-end database construction
and human figure animation. They developed and own a system for the creation
of computer generated actors called "Synthespians" which has been demonstrated
in experimental films "Nestor Sextone for President" (1988) and "Don't
Touch Me" (1990). They have also worked for PBS and CBS and their feature
film work includes "Honey I Blew Up the Kids," "The Pickle," "Stargate,"
"Clear and Present Danger" and "Judge Dredd." They have also worked on
special effects attractions for the Luxor Hotel and for Disney Theme Parks.
The course will consist of lectures in which the field of computer animation
will be explored from an historical context, using videotape examples,
as well as studio sessions, during which students will learn to use high-end
workstations to create 3-D animated sequences of their own design. In
addition, students may have an opportunity to participate in the production
of actual projects on an intern level.
Prerequisites: a strong interest in graphics and animation. Preference
to students with background in Computer Science or Studio Art. Enrollment
limited to 12.
Cost to student: approximately $50 for books and materials.
Meeting time: morning meetings, with lab work at various times.

Jeff Kleiser (Instructor)
Bruce (Sponsor)

Jeff Kleiser is co-founder of Kleiser-Walczak Construction
Co., a computer graphics firm specializing in high-end database construction
and human figure animation. His work has appeared in many feature films
and in numerous broadcast and commercial projects. Recent examples include
work on the films Judge Dredd and Stargate, animated sequences in the
PBS series The Astronomers and special effects attractions for the Luxor
Hotel in Las Vegas.

This is a graduate WSP offered at the Center for Development
Economics. Agriculture policy makers in many developing countries face
numerous dilemmas as they seek to meet the goals of producing food, earning
hard currency through exports, generating income for the rural poor, and
protecting land, water, forest, and wildlife resources. This class will
examine the ways in which the goals of agricultural policy can coincide
and conflict. We will pay special attention to the relationship between
agricultural production and environmental protection. When and why does
agricultural production lead to land clearing, diversion of water resources,
and overuse of chemicals? When does agricultural development lead to improved
use of resources? What role can and should policy makers play in influencing
the course of agricultural development? Do markets lead to the most efficient
and most desirable outcomes?
We will address these questions through readings, videos, and discussions,
as well as through some simulation-type exercises, in which students get
hands-on practice with policy making. We may also make one or more brief
field trips to meet local farmers and agricultural leaders to ask how
issues of sustainability and agricultural production are played out in
Berkshire County.
The class will meet daily.
Evaluation will be based on two to three short papers, other written assignments,
and class participation.
Enrollment limited to 30.
Cost to student: approximately $100 for textbook and photocopies.
Meeting time: afternoons.

This course explores how changing economic patterns
at the farm, distribution, retail, and consumer level affect food consumption
patterns in the U.S. We will explore these economic relationships as we
see how food moves from the farm to our tables. Initially, we will meet
with local farmers to discuss the economic forces that are shaping their
farming decisions. In many cases, the distinctions between production
and processing are blurred, as more farmers move into contract farming,
especially in the mid-west and south, and as many small farmers seek to
create their own market niches and begin to market and sell their own
specialty products. The food distribution system involves both local retailers,
such as co-ops and large vertically integrated chains. We will meet with
people involved with the distribution and retailing of food. Finally,
we will look at how changing social and economic factors affect the choices
that consumers make about food.
This course will meet three times per week and will involve several field
trips to local farms and businesses.
Students will be evaluated on the basis of three short (approximately
5 page) papers and participation in class discussion.
Enrollment limited to 30.
Cost to student: approximately $75 for text and reading packets and additional
costs for field trips.
Meeting time: afternoons.

This Winter Study course is intended to provide an opportunity
for students to investigate important macroeconomic episodes in the United
States from the Great Depression to the present. Such episodes are frequently
referred to in both introductory and intermediate macroeconomics courses,
but such courses never afford the time to study them in detail. The particular
episodes to be addressed are the Great Depression itself, the Kennedy-Johnson
boom, the supply shocks of the seventies, the Reagonomics. Time permitting,
the performance of the economy during the Bush-Clinton administrations
will be evaluated against this background. The emphasis will be to try
to understand the forces that triggered major swings in U.S. macroeconomic
performance during this period, both in the direction of upswings as well
as downswings, by relying on the direct examination of data, the application
of intermediate-level macroeconomic models, and critical evaluation of
alternative interpretations offered by informed observers.
The class will be conducted as a seminar, and will meet in two-hour session
three times per week.
Students will be evaluated on the basis of attendance, class participation,
and a 15- to 20-page paper which proposes a particular interpretation
of an important macroeconomic episode.
Prerequisites: Economics 101. Enrollment limited to 15.
Meeting time: mornings.

The project will examine the theoretical and practical
aspects of financial accounting. Although the beginning of the course
will explore the mechanics of the information gathering and dissemination
process, the course will be oriented mainly towards users, rather than
preparers, of accounting information. The project will include discussion
of the principles involved in accounting for current assets, plant assets,
leases, intangible assets, current and long-term debt, stockholders' equity,
the income statement and the statement of cash flows. Students will be
expected to interpret and analyze actual financial statements. The nature
of, and career opportunities in, the field of accounting will also be
discussed.
The project is a "mini course." It will present a substantial body of
material and will require a considerable commitment of time by the student,
including regular attendance and participation in discussion and homework
cases and problems.
Enrollment limited to 30.
Cost to student: none.
Meeting time: mornings.

LEO McMENIMEN (Instructor)
WINSTON (Sponsor)

Leo McMenimen is returning to Williams this January
from the School of Business, Montclair State College.

Elementary description and analysis of the stock market.
Emphasis will be on the roles of the market in our economy, including
evaluation of business firms and the success of particular capital investments,
allocating savings to different types of investment, and providing liquid
and marketable financial investments for individual savers.
The course will focus on the description of mechanics of trading on various
exchanges and other markets, stock market indexes of "averages" (Dow-Jones,
S&P, 500, etc.), how to read the financial news, historical rates
of return on stocks and portfolios, role of mutual funds, beta coefficients,
and "random walk" theory. The course will also involve a brief introduction
to financial reports of firms and analysis of financial ratios.
Each student will participate in discussions, do some homework assignments,
follow a hypothetical portfolio during January, and write a 10-page report
analyzing the wisdom or folly of having chosen the portfolio.
Not intended for students who already know much about the stock market;
students who have had Economics 317 not admitted. The course will involve
a two-day field trip to New York City.
Prerequisite: Economics 101. Enrollment limited to 30.
Cost to student: $30 for text plus $50 for bus transportation to New York
City, obligatory and paid at time of registration. Meals and lodging in
New York City are not included in this price and are the responsibility
of the student.
Meeting time: afternoons.

LEO MCMENIMEN (Instructor)
WINSTON (Sponsor)

Leo McMenimen is returning to Williams this January
from the School of Business, Montclair State College.

A study of maps as ways to represent ideas and data.
Principles of "thematic cartography," including role of projections, scale,
symbols, color, and shading. Examples of maps from a wide variety of fields
(journalism, historical narrative, physical sciences, economics, political
science, advertising, propaganda) and subjects (e.g., politics, profitable
business location, efficient public facility location, poverty, military
campaigns and battles, environmental conditions, lass of forest cover,
flood risk, ethnic populations, and migration). Introduction to aerial
photographs and satellite images. The instructors' examples will be primarily
from the U.S., Canada, and Latin America, but students may work independently
on other regions. Note: This is not primarily a course in "geographical
information systems" (GIS), although there will be an introduction to
that subject.
Requirements: We will encourage students to work independently, but at
a minimum each student must: a) collect and critique examples of maps;
b) participate actively in discussion three meeting each week; c) design,
produce, and exhibit publicly an original series of maps with one of the
computer mapping programs that will be available.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limited to 20.
Cost to student: approximately $40 for texts and reading packet.
Meeting time: mornings.

This Travel WSP will explore the complex and divisive
issues confronting the Pacific Northwest, a region highly depended on
resource extraction industries that have become threatened by excessive
harvesting, environmental degradation, technological change, government
policy, and economic growth. A central goal of the course is to see, first-hand,
the nature of the problems, to talk with those who are affected and to
gain an appreciation for the many points of view which have made the issues
so difficult to reconcile. The course will focus on understanding the
causes of these resource problems and looking at a range of policies and
other potential solutions. Students will have opportunities to talk with
industry representatives, community leaders, native Americans, staff from
State and Federal Government, environmental groups, and academics.
Travel will begin in Seattle and will include the Olympic Peninsula, Washington
coast, the Columbia River basin, Portland, and parts of the mountain interior
of Washington State. A significant part of the course will focus on studying
the Willapa Bay region on the southern Washington coast in cooperation
with EcoTrust (headed by Spencer Beebe '68) and the Willapa Alliance,
an effort to create a grass roots organization to encourage sustainable
economic development in this resource-dependent region. In addition to
localized issues such as those in Willapa Bay, wider regional issues will
be explored including the conflicts between salmon, hydropower dams, agriculture,
and forestry, development in the Cascade and Olympic mountains regions,
and sustainable development around Puget Sound.
Each student will be required to write a 10-page paper.
No prerequisites, although students having taken Economics 101 and Environmental
Studies 101 will be given priority. Enrollment limited to 10.
Cost to student: approximately $750, excluding transportation to and from
Seattle.

W. JAEGER

ECON 026 South Africa's
Transition: The Challenge of Redistribution and Growth

This 22-day travel course will investigate the complex
problem of South Africa's economic transformation, examining the role
of public policy in mobilizing social investment that fuels revitalized
growth while bolstering higher wages and increased employment. Since South
Africa's first democratic elections three years ago, the country has implemented
a remarkable political transformation. Socio-economic progress, however,
has been much more difficult. This project will explore the challenges
posed by the objectives of redistribution and economic growth, focusing
on the role of government in providing social investment like housing,
health care, education, and job creation.
South Africa is a country of contrasts: international polls rank Cape
Town as one of the world's three most pleasant cities, yet minutes from
the central business district smolder huge pockets of abject urban poverty.
This course will investigate how such a skewed distribution of resources
has been perpetuated, and why redressing the problem has been so difficult.
The first ten days of the course will focus on understanding the problem-visiting
poor townships created as economically nonviable entities, investigating
inequities in the provision of education and health care, and comprehending
the predicament of the rural poor. The paucity of public resources for
the majority stands in stark contrast to the abundance provided by apartheid-era
policies to the privileged minority: a health care system that achieved
the world's first successful heart transplant, public schools comparable
to the world's best private educational institutions, and first-rate urban
amenities. The second half of the course will analyze why one of the world's
most unequal societies is so resistant to change, and what role public
policy can serve in fostering redistribution and growth. Meetings -with
policy-makers and community activists, with teachers and labor leaders,
with economic researchers and social workers, with public health advocates
and bankers-will provide insight into the historical and structural causes
of the extreme inequality that characterizes South Africa's society, and
the options available for redressing past imbalances and inequities while
promoting economic growth and job creation. The itinerary will focus on
Cape Town and rural areas within the Western Cape province.
The theme of social investment unifies the course: how apartheid created
one of the world's most skewed distributions of human capital, whose inertial
force resists substantive change, and the critical role that public investment
in social infrastructure must serve in transforming the economy. First-hand
experience combined with educational presentations and discussions will
illuminate the challenges, opportunities, and policy options facing South
Africa as the country rebuilds political, social, and economic institutions
No prerequisite. Enrollment limited to 12-14. Interested students must
consult the instructor before registration (email: michael.samosn@williams.edu).
Cost to student: $2,840 (Includes round-trip airfare from New York City
to Cape Town, hotel accommodations, all meals, local transportation, and
miscellaneous expenses).

The "Specialization Route" to the degree with Honors
in Economics requires that each candidate take an Honors Winter Study
Project in January of the senior year. Students who wish to begin their
honors work in January should submit a detailed proposal. Decisions on
admission to the Honors WSP will be made in the fall. Information on the
procedures will be mailed to senior majors in economics early in the fall
semester.
Seniors who wish to apply for admission to the Honors WSP and thereby
to the Honors Program should register for this WSP as their first choice.
Some seniors will have begun honors work in the fall and wish to complete
it in the WSP. They will be admitted to the WSP if they have made satisfactory
progress. They should register for this WSP as their first choice.

We will study the work of two of Hollywood's most original
comic minds and distinguished directors: Ernst Lubitsch and Preston Sturges.
Lubitsch, arguably the most prestigious Hollywood director of the 1930s,
was unmatched for the elegance and cleverness of his visual style and
for the deft and urbane acting he elicited. In such charming and worldly
comic masterpieces as Trouble in Paradise, The Shop Around the Corner,
and Ninotchka, he analyzed American and European attitudes toward sex
and money with a distinctive blend of cheerfully cynical satire and indulgent
wit. His screwball comedy about the Nazi occupation of Poland, To Be or
Not to Be, is one of the most remarkable political films ever made. Sturges
enjoyed a meteoric rise in the early 1940s as a director of wild and off-beat
comedies. Films such as The Great McGinty, The Lady Eve, The Palm Beach
Story, and The Miracle of Morgan's Creek are conceived as brilliant satires
of American politics, sex, motherhood, class, money, and advertizing,
but are almost unhinged by the madcap energies of Sturges' penchant for
farce and for weird disruptions of convention.
Requirements: Students will be asked to write short journal entries on
each of the approximately ten films studied, about 15 pages of writing
in all. Three two-hour meetings per week.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limited to 18; preference to students who
have taken English 204 and to English majors, but others are welcome also.
Cost to student: approximately $20 for books and an offset packet.
Meeting time: mornings.

This course will explore the relation between dream
and representation-dreaming as a mode of representation, but also representations
of dreams in a variety of cultural avatars-literature, film, advertizing.
The first portion of the course will focus on The Interpretation of Dreams,
Freud's seminal work on the unconscious and a fascinating narrative in
its own right. We will then consider a variety of literary and film works
that focus on dream life, from The Book of the Duchess to Through the
Looking Glass, from Cocteau's "Beauty and the Beast" to "Videodrome."
We will end with reflections on the relation between dreams and commodity
culture-how does dream representation do its work in that sphere? how
are we brought to dream of buying dreams, including the dream that we
might, for once, "just do it"?
Requirements: ten pages of writing. Three two-hour meetings per week.
Prerequisites: English 101. Enrollment limited to 20, with students selected
from a mix of levels and disciplines.
Cost to student: approximately $20 for readings.
Meeting time: mornings.

Renowned as the Virgin Queen and one of England's greatest
monarchs, Elizabeth I spent the first half of her reign wooing her subjects,
negotiating marriages with the various crowded heads of Europe, and defending
her right to rule the country herself, whether or not she married. This
course will compare the ways in which Elizabeth I constructed herself
(poetry, public speeches, proclamations, political negotiations, pageantry,
print, portraiture, and gossip) with the ways in which her speech and
writing have been represented by biographers and historians.
Requirements: Students are required to attend class regularly (three two-hour
meetings per week), take an active part in class discussions, and complete
assigned readings, while working on an individual or group project. The
projects, based on Elizabeth's own writings and writings about her, will
enable students to pursue their own creative or scholarly interests in
literature, history, Women's Studies, art, education, politics, or technology.
Possible projects include: a chapter in a history or biography of Elizabeth;
a packet of materials or a mini-course for the Williamstown elementary
school; a documentary, epic poem, drama, pageant, musical comedy, rock
opera, or stand-up comic or court jester's routine about one or more moments
in Elizabeth's reign; a slide show using images of the queen; original
drawings, portraits, cartoons, comic books, or computer graphics drawn
from life masks used by contemporary portrait painters; a CD-ROM or web
site; an introduction and annotated bibliography for an edition of Elizabeth's
writings; a feminist critique of ways in which the queen has been portrayed
by biographers, historians, literary critics, or Elizabethan writers such
as Shakespeare or Spenser.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limited to 20; preference given to students,
or groups of students, with a clearly defined project.
Cost to student: will vary depending on the type of project pursued.
Meeting time: mornings.

This course will focus on the development of feminist
and lesbian science fiction, fantasy and utopian fiction, beginning with
Charlotte Perkins Gilman's Herland (1915), a utopian novel about an all-female
world, and including the science fiction of Ursula LeGuin, Margaret Atwood,
Joanna Russ, and Sheri Tepper, among others. We will consider the function
and value of "feminist" writing in what is often seen as an "escapist"
genre, and explore the range of attitudes these novels embody toward male
and female culture and identity, sexuality, the uses and dangers of technology,
and the role of violence in human culture. The first part of the course
will focus on the development of feminist science fiction as a distinct
genre, and the second part will focus on the range of, and fault lines
among, writers currently working within it. Students will have an opportunity
to pursue particular authors or types of fiction that interest them, and
the course will also offer some opportunity to meet with contemporary
writers in the field.
Requirements: a reading journal or a ten-page essay. Three two-hour meetings
per week.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limited to 20, with preference to seniors
first, then to English majors.
Cost to student: approximately $50 for books.
Meeting time: afternoons.

What are the particular pleasures of a good ghost story?
"It should give you the creeps," Roald Dahl writes, "and disturb your
thoughts." Beyond the requisite chill and shudder, how might our thoughts
be disturbed? And to what end? In this course we will read a number of
supernatural tales, including classics of the genre by Algernon Blackwood,
Ambrose Bierce, M. R. James, and Edgar Allan Poe, and modern variations
by, among others, Jorge Luis Borges, Franz Kafka, Vladimir Nabokov, Elizabeth
Bowen, and John Cheever. We will also discuss two short novels-The Turn
of the Screw by Henry James, and The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley
Jackson-and two films adapted from these books (The Innocents and The
Haunting).
Requirements: attendance at all class meetings, one in-class presentation,
and a 10- to 15-page paper. Three two-hour meetings per week.
Prerequisites: English 101. Enrollment limited to 20.
Cost to student: books only.
Meeting time: mornings.

Henry James writes about what it meant for American
and European societies to be mutually exposed to and by one another around
the turn of this century. In so doing he raises questions about what it
means to be civilized, to be smart, and to be rich. We will consider how
the drama of consciousness is played out in his characters' struggles
with love and conscience, and in his own preoccupation with capturing
stylistically the narrative logic of the passions. We will read three
novellas-"The Beast in the Jungle," "The Pupil," and "The Aspern Papers"-as
well as the novels The Ambassadors and The Golden Bowl.
Requirements: three short papers or one 10-page paper. Three two-hour
meetings per week.
Prerequisites: English 101. Enrollment limited to 18, with preference
to English majors.
Cost to student: approximately $50 for books.
Meeting time: afternoons.

The first portion of this course will focus on the Irish
"Revival" period (1890s to 1920s), including drama by Yeats, Shaw, Synge,
and Lady Gregory, with supporting representative readings in short fiction
and non-fiction prose of the period. Our readings will address, in particular,
the following key issues: the recuperation and promotion of an independent
Irish literary tradition during the Revival, and the uneasy relationship
of this new literary tradition to the English literary mainstream; the
assigned writers' negotiations with the cultural politics of their time,
and in particular with the contested idea of "Irishness" itself; and the
place of gender in the construction of national and literary identity.
The remainder of the course will focus on the impact of Irish independence
and the shadow cast by the Revival writers on subsequent Irish dramatists,
including O'Casey, Behan, and Friel. We will conclude with a screening
and discussion of The Crying Game, and consider how the paradigms of political
action, gender, and national identity established in the Irish tradition
during the first half of this century continue to resonate powerfully
in contemporary literary and cultural texts.
Requirements: 12-page final paper and a short oral presentation. Three
two-hour meetings per week.
Prerequisites: English 101. Enrollment limited to 18, with preference
to English majors.
Cost to student: approximately $60.
Meeting time: mornings.

James Pethica (Instructor)
Fix (Sponsor)

James Pethica teaches Modern British and Irish Literature
at the University of Richmond. He is on leave in 1997-98, completing a
book on Yeats and Lady Gregory.

A close reading of Toni Morrison's six published novels:
The Bluest Eye, Sula, Song of Solomon, Tar Baby, Beloved, and Jazz. Our
aim will be to experience, as intensely as possible, the way Morrison
sees things and says things-the angle of her vision and the rhythm of
her language, and the way both of those things have changed over time.
In the process of developing that kind of complex familiarity with Morrison's
work, we will find what a rich occasion for thought it is. By way of Morrison,
we should be able to rediscover as questions such things as memory, race,
nuclear families, and black women's talk.
Requirements: a 10-15 page paper. During the first half of Winter Study,
the class will meet three times a week for two hours, and during the second
half of Winter Study, the course will meet twice a week for three hours.
Prerequisites: English 101. Enrollment limited to 20, with preference
to seniors and English majors.
Cost to student: approximately $70.
Meeting time: afternoons.

Geoff Sanborn (Instructor)
Fix (Sponsor)

Geoff Sanborn is Assistant Professor of English at Fairfield
University, where he teaches courses in American literature and culture.
He is the author of The Sign of the Cannibal: Melville and the Spectacle
of Savagery, and is working on a collection of essays on race, trauma,
and memory.

In this introduction to journalism, students will learn
reporting, writing, and editing skills through written assignments and
in-class exercises. We will examine how different styles of writing serve
different needs, and the practical and legal limits within which journalists
work. Assignments will include writing a news story, a feature article,
a review, and an editorial. Students also will practice the essential
art of rewriting.
Requirements: Each student will submit articles on deadline; read and
discuss current newspapers and magazines; and attend all classes. Four
two-hour meetings per week.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limited to 15, with preference to first-year
students.
Cost to student: less than $20.
Meeting time: mornings.

Sally White (Instructor)
Fix (Sponsor)

Sally White worked at Time Inc. magazines in New York
and Washington for thirteen years. She is now a freelance writer.

In this course we will be reading and analyzing (or
at least discussing superficially and vaguely) famous parodies of famous
authors. But the bulk of our energy will be spent writing. For each class,
students will prepare a short parody of an assigned writer, some of which
we'll read aloud. Class time will be spent trying to figure our what works
and what doesn't, what's funny and what's lame. In addition, students
will have the entire Winter Study period to prepare a longer parody of
a writer of their choice (due in the last class).
The list of writers we will be making fun of is changeable, as it depends
partly on students' suggestions. Here are some possibilities: T. S. Eliot,
Courtney Love, William Shakespeare, Malcolm X, Marcel Proust, Ernest Hemingway,
Jacques Derrida, Mary Daly, Robert "Bob" Dylan, Camille Paglia, James
Merrill, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Jack Kerouac, Alan Ginsberg, W. B. Yeats,
Gertrude Stein, Sigmund Freud, Bertolt Brecht, Tupac Shakur, Lao Tzu,
Alfred Tennyson, Virginia Woolf, William Wordsworth, William Faulkner
. . . (you get the idea).
Requirements: class participation, completion of assignments, and above
all personal whim. Two three-hour meetings per week.
Prerequisites: English 101. Enrollment limited to 15. In selecting students,
preference will be given to seniors, and attention will be paid to diversity
and to the balance between men and women.
Cost to student: minimal (mostly for xeroxing).
Meeting time: afternoons.

Paul Park (Instructor)
Fix (Sponsor)

Paul Park is the author of five novels and a small but
meager body of short fiction.

While Disney cannibalizes and vulgarizes Kipling's Jungle
Books, N. C. Chaudhuri calls Kim "one of the greatest of English novels."
Edward Said, writing on culture and imperialism, admits Kim to "the world's
greatest literature." Salman Rushdie reads Kipling's Indian stories with
the incompatible emotions of "anger and delight." Why, after a near century
of invisibility on college syllabuses, is this Nobel Prize-winning and
internationally popular author now being read, studied, and admired by
exactly those whom we might expect to be too angered to be delighted?
Shall we join them? We shall read as much as we can of Kipling's Indian
fiction, and consider whether it is time to open the academic canon to
what Said calls Kipling's "extraordinary genius."
Requirements: two journals and a final 8- to 10-page paper. Three two-and-a-half
hour meetings per week.
Prerequisites: English 101 or permission of instructor. Enrollment limited
to 20, with preference to seniors, and to actual or potential English
majors.
Cost to student: approximately $45.
Meeting time: afternoons.

This course will explore the tools for studying the
natural world through various uses of writing, literature, and drawing.
Students will spend time outdoors learning the ecosystem of the Williamstown
area and time indoors doing observational drawing, reflective writing,
and reading and discussion of nature literature. The month's work will
be contained in a nature journal, to be displayed and discussed as part
of a final project.
Designed for students with interests in environmental studies, natural
history writing, and drawing.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limited to 12.
Cost to student: $50 for books and art supplies.
Meeting time: mornings.

CLARE WALKER LESLIE & CHRISTIAN MCEWEN (Instructors)
LEE (Sponsor)

Clare Walker Leslie has written five books on nature
drawing. She illustrated Prof. William T. Fox's At the Sea's Edge. Christian
McEwen is a writer and editor in Charlemont, Massachusetts.

Land trusts are the fastest growing component of the
environmental movement across the U.S. and, increasingly, a source of
job opportunities. This course will examine why and how 20 percent of
Massachusetts has been preserved as open space. Land is the base for all
our other resources: rare species habitat; groundwater and river protection;
wildlife; scenic views; and recreation. We'll look at the history of land
protection, sources of funding, land protection tools such as bargain
sales, conservation easements, bequests, and limited developments, together
with the tax benefits associated with land donations and estate planning.
Selection of critical parcels for acquisition, including wildlife habitat
planning considerations, and the increasing need for proper stewardship
of conservation areas, will be examined. The role of local, state, and
federal agencies and non-profit organizations in land protection will
be discussed. Current projects on Cape Cod and in the Berkshires will
be used to illustrate concepts and patterns.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limited to 20.
Cost to student: $10.
Meeting time: mornings.

MARK H. ROBINSON '79 (Instructor)
LEE (Sponsor)

Mark Robinson is the executive director of the Compact
of Cape Cod Conservation Trusts in Barnstable, Massachusetts.

ENVI 013 Technology
Development and Environmental Concerns in Russia, Canada and the United
States

This course in Technology Development is a survey course
in problem solving applied to answer a basic question: What are the technological,
environmental or social factors which govern the success or failure of
large Northern Development projects? There are many answers to such questions-and
we approach them from an economic, technological, environmental, political
and social point to view in order to see what each discipline individually
contributes to the answer. Only then can we combine these approaches to
determine the optimum answer.
Much of the course is taken up with case studies of actual large and small
development projects which already exist or are planned for northern communities.
As such, we have access to considerable data on the development and decision
making process, the nature of the technology used, as well as the social
and environmental impacts. We will explore the Red Dog Zinc Mine, the
accident at Exxon Valdez, the Windy Craggy Copper Mine in BC, and the
Quebec HydroElectric Project in Canada and Alaska. Russian examples of
technology include the successful Kubaka Gold Mine in Magadan, the pollution
of Lake Baikal, the pollution of Russian rivers and the Chernobyl disaster.
Six case studies of small scale local community development across Canada
and Alaska may be useful to illustrate positive elements in economic development
which may produce sustainable development.
Aside from the case studies, we will briefly consider the geographic characteristics
of the North which pose particular problems for development. To understand
these case studies we will use multidisciplinary approaches and analysis
based upon the various disciplines listed above. Systems thinking and
the modes of system failure must be understood for us to be fully aware
of the nature of technology and its potential impact upon the physical
or social environment. Extensive use will be made of slides, videos and
maps.
Students will be required to write a short paper and one of ten or more
pages on a topic of their own choosing related to Northern development
issues. Grades will be based upon the papers and the vigor and enthusiasm
of classroom discussion. Class will meet for two hours, three times each
week.
Enrollment is limited to 20.
Cost to student: about $35 for Xeroxing of materials.
Meeting time: mornings.

DR. HENRY COLE (Instructor)
LEE (Sponsor)

Dr. Henry Cole '59 was the Science Advisor to Alaska
Governor Steve Cowper from 1986 to 1991. He currently manages a mining
waste water remediation project.

Managing risks is an important, controversial paradigm
in American institutions and culture. This course will introduce you to
basic ideas in risk management and challenges you to respond by developing
a critical, informed stance on how uncertain and incomplete knowledge
should affect the choices made by individuals, the public, and large organizations.
The course will use risk analysis in environmental decisions (such as
studies of exposure to toxins, which may produce cancer many years later)
as an example of a wide class of choices (such investing in stocks, bioethical
judgments, insurance, policies for the uncertain impact of global climate
change, and foreign policy). The aim of the course is two-fold: 1) to
provide ideas for each student to formulate her or his own judgments about
risky decisions; and 2) to acquaint students with information-search methods
to inform these judgments.
Both 1) and 2) are applicable in academic research tasks in college, and
mastering these skills will prove useful in job settings such as management
consulting and public policy.
Class evaluation will be based upon a critical annotated bibliography
on risk, as applied to a subject to be chosen by each student.
Enrollment is limited to 20.
Cost to student: approximately $20 for reading packet.
Meeting time: mornings.

A vicarious trip through selected national parks of
the U.S. and Canada with emphasis on the geological basis for their unique
scenery. Areas to be studied will be chosen in order to illustrate a wide
variety of geologic processes and products. The class will meet most mornings
during the first two weeks for lectures and discussions, supplemented
with lab work devoted to the interpretation of topographic and geologic
maps and to the study of rock samples. Readings will include a paperback
text as well as short publications of the U.S. Geological Survey and various
natural history associations. The second half of the project will involve
independent study of topics chosen by the students in preparation for
half-hour oral presentations during the last week. The oral reports will
be comprehensive, well illustrated explanations of the geology of a particular
national park or monument of the student's choice, using maps, slides,
and reference materials available within the department and on the internet.
A detailed outline and an accompanying bibliography will be submitted
at the time of the oral presentation.
No prerequisites. Open only to students with no previous college-level
study of geology. Preference will be given to first-year students. Enrollment
limited to 15.
Cost to student: approximately $40 for the text.
Meeting time: mornings.

The search for gold has obsessed humanity for millennia.
It has driven people to great feats of exploration and has carried them
to the most inhospitable corners of the Earth. It has caused wars, shaped
societies, built nations, and destroyed civilizations. This course will
examine the natural occurrence of gold, the means by which it has been
found and mined since prehistoric times, and the history, literature,
and folklore of gold rushes from ancient times to the present. Readings
will be from a variety of historical, literary, and geological sources,
ranging from texts for medieval miners and memoirs of Spanish conquistadors,
through the literary accounts of Jack London and Mark Twain, to news accounts
of the ongoing gold rush in the Amazon jungle and assessments of the environmental
impact of modern mining operations.
Evaluation will be based on a research paper dealing with geological,
historical, environmental, social, or economic aspects of gold exploration
and mining. Enrollment limited to 16.
Cost to student: approximately $15 to $40 for reading materials.
Meeting time: mornings.

Science literacy in society is low and science is sometimes
a feared topic in high school, but everybody likes dinosaurs. Kids positively
love them. How can we use this fascination for the huge, bizarre, and
long dead animals to teach K1-8 about science? Paleontology is a discipline
that sits between the earth and life sciences with the possibility to
embrace physics (bio-mechanics), math, chemistry, and astronomy. Therefore,
it is easy to integrate dinosaurs in many agendas. In this course we will
learn basics about dinosaurs. We will study science education standards
and curricula for the different grade levels and discuss different ways
to use dinosaur paleontology in teaching. The students will pair up and
concentrate on one grade level. In cooperation with public school teachers,
they will choose a science topic from the curriculum that can be carried
out with the help of dinosaurs. We will use the first weeks to work out
curricula that actively involves the children on different levels. The
last two weeks will be devoted to use of this in practice.
The class will meet four times a week in 90 minute sessions. Each student
will read scientific dinosaur papers about relevant topics and present
ways to use this in their grade. We will all discuss this, find other
ways to use the same material, and together work out a good agenda for
each level. The students will also spend time in public school classes.
Textbook used: Lucas, S.G., 1997: Dinosaurs-The Textbook. W.C. Brown,
290 p. Enrollment limited to 16.
Cost to student: $25 for selective readings.
Meeting time: mornings.

GUDVEIG BAARLI (Instructor)
M. JOHNSON (Sponsor)

Gudveig Baarli received her Ph.D. in Geology from the
University of Oslo in 1988 and is a Research Associate in Geosciences
at Williams.

An in-depth exploration of Macintosh-based applications
designed to make scientists' lives easier and better (or sometimes harder
and worse). Scientific activity commonly generates large amounts of data
and/or mathematical models. There are now many applications available
to manipulate, portray, and mathematically model data. It is becoming
increasingly important to the success of a scientific project to effectively
present the results in a visually understandable and aesthetically pleasing
way.
We will learn how to use database, graphics, and mathematical modelling
programs to create and analyze two- and three-dimensional images of natural
phenomena. An important aspect of this project will be determining what
constitutes an effective image.
We will meet as a group for three two-hour meetings each week. Students
should anticipate spending additional time completing computer-based projects
which will form the basis for evaluation. This project is primarily intended
to help students considering a senior thesis in the sciences. Therefore,
preference will be given to juniors and sophomores. Enrollment limited
to 12.
Cost to student: none.
Meeting time: mornings.

Participants in this course will spend the Winter Study
period camping and conducting field work in the U.S. Virgin Islands, the
geology of which represents an unusual mix of active tectonic processes
and carbonate sedimentation. Subduction of the Caribbean plate beneath
the North American plate produced a chain of volcanic islands, including
the Virgin Islands. Although volcanism is ongoing elsewhere in the Antilles,
the Virgin Islands volcanoes are now extinct. The islands were much modified
by changing sea levels during the last 1.5 m.y. Coral reef systems that
developed during periods of high sea level were exposed and eroded when
sea level dropped. Sea level has risen steadily over the last 15,000 years,
and much of the modern offshore topography is due to the development of
a system of fringing reefs that has grown up on top of the older, eroded
reef terraces.
This course will examine modern and ancient reef and carbonate sedimentation
systems, both on land and in the ocean. We will also investigate the volcanic
and deep-marine sediments that are now uplifted in the core of the island,
and we will study the interactions between tectonics and sedimentation
in this unique environment.
Evaluation will be based on participation in field investigations and
on field notebooks.
Prerequisite: Geosciences 251T or consent of instructor. Enrollment limited
to 12.
Cost to student: depends on airfare and food expenses, but expected to
be in the range of $800-$1000. Camping costs will be subsidized; no textbook
required.

Something new and different for students enrolled in
German 101-102. Practice in the use of German for everyday purposes; creation
and performance of short dramatic sketches through group collaboration;
games; songs; storytelling; reading. No homework.
Class meets four times a week for 50 minutes.
Requirements: active participation and regular attendance earn a "Pass"
grade.
Prerequisite: German 101 or equivalent. Limited to German 101-102 students.
Cost to student: the price of one paperback text.

This will be a crash course for those interested in
acquiring a basic knowledge of that wonderfully guttural language spoken
not only by over fifteen million Netherlanders, but also by six million
Belgians, Afrikaners, Antilleans, and some elderly Indonesians.
For phonetics and grammatical skills we will work and drill from Shetter's
grammar. The practical acquisitions of learning to speak and understand
will be developed through readings and oral exercises taken from a wide
variety of short texts.
We will meet on a daily basis for one hour and a half. Each day written
exercises and quizzes will be given. There will be a final written exam
on all the material covered.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limited to 15.
Cost to student: no more than $20 for book, dictionary, and photocopy
packet.
Meeting time: mornings.

ADRIANA M. BROWN (Instructor)
GOLDSTEIN (Sponsor)

Adriana Brown '85 studied English and German translating
at the University of Amsterdam. She has taught Dutch at Williams College
during Winter Study Period since 1989.

Begin or continue study of the German language at the
Goethe Institute in Prien, Germany. The Goethe Institute program attracts
students from all over the world. A typical course meets for four weeks,
18 hours/week, generally providing the equivalent of one semester course
at Williams. To earn a pass, the student must receive the Goethe Institute's
Teilnahme-Bestätigung which denotes regular attendance at classes,
completion of homework, and successful completion of a final test.
Students wishing to apply must fill out an application, obtainable in
the office of the Center for Foreign Languages, Literatures, and Cultures
in Weston, and return it to the Goethe Institute as soon as possible (admission
is on a first-come, first-served basis).
Prerequisite: none, but any student interested in beginning German with
this course and then entering German 102 at Williams should contact Professor
Newman by December 1, at the latest. Enrollment limited to 15. Not open
to first-year students.
Cost to student: from approximately $1300 to approximately $1800 for tuition
and room and board, plus round trip travel costs. The Goethe Institute
arranges for room and board at various levels upon students' request,
but students must make their own travel arrangements. This course is not
defined as a "trip" for financial aid purposes. The maximum reimbursement
to financial aid students is $300.

HIST 010 American
Catholicism in the Novels of Andrew Greeley (Same as American Studies
010)

Andrew Greeley is a Roman Catholic priest, sociologist
and best-selling author of fiction. His novels cover an equally wide spectrum
of genres, such as fantasy, psychological suspense, and murder mysteries.
The common thread in all of Greeley's writing is his concern with the
central issues of today's crisis in Catholicism. In this course we will
read selected novels and focus on the ways in which Greeley presents such
interwoven themes as hierarchy versus spirit, the feminine divine versus
patriarchal institution, laity versus clergy, human sexuality, clerical
celibacy, the role of women in the church, miracle and everyday life,
and religious zeal versus social toleration. While these issues are especially
poignant for Catholics, Greeley strives to make them equally accessible
to people of other religions. This course will follow his lead.
Requirements: class attendance and participation; a 10-page essay on course
readings. Class will meet three times a week.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limited to 20.
Cost to student: $30 covering books and Xeroxes.
Meeting time: mornings.

BERETZ

HIST 011 Gaius Bolin
and His Successors: Williams College and African Americans

Between 1865 and 1935 more than two dozen African Americans
matriculated at Williams College. This Winter Study Project will survey
the history of African Americans and American colleges both black and
white, and explore the particular circumstances which blacks encountered
at Williams. Students will write two short papers. The first assignment
concerns blacks on some other campus in the late nineteenth or early twentieth
century. In the second assignment students will choose a black Williams
student from the same period and research his experiences at Williams
and beyond based on resources in Williamsiana.
Each paper will be 5- to 7-pages long. Class will meet three times a week.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limited to 20.
Cost to student: $30 covering books and Xeroxes.
Meeting time: afternoons.

This course will be devoted to reading closely the major
works of the Austrian novelist and essayist, Robert Musil (1880-1942),
one of the greatest critical and imaginative thinkers of the twentieth
century. In essays, short stories, and novels, Musil portrayed and analyzed
the crisis of bourgeois culture after the turn of the century that would
give rise to Nazism and to the collapse of liberal, civil society in Central
Europe. Although we will read Young Torless and a number of his short
stories and essays, the bulk of the course will be devoted to Musil's
masterpiece, The Man Without Qualities, a novel that presents the disordered
world of pre-war Vienna as a model for the cultural and moral crisis in
Europe during the first three decades of the twentieth century. Requirements
a 10-page paper and regular and thoughtful participation in class discussion.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limited to 20.
Cost to student: $30 covering books and Xeroxes.
Meeting time: mornings.

This Winter Study project will look at the objects that
constituted the physical reality of Chinese men and women around the turn
of the twentieth century. We will visit four museums (Williams, Peabody-Salem,
Peabody-Harvard, and one other to be arranged) where we will interact
with actual historical objects under the guidance of museum professionals.
Our goal will be to develop an understanding of how to use artifacts (along
with relevant documentary data) to explore cultural questions.
The group will meet twice a week: once for field trip and once for discussion.
Evaluation will be based on four 5- to 7-page essays.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limited to 20.
Cost to student: $50 covering museum entry fees and Xeroxes.
Meeting time: mornings.

In recent years, fly fishing has become a very popular
form of fishing. However, the noble art of catching a trout on a fly has
a long tradition in American literature. Through texts and films, this
course will examine texts which use fly fishing as an expression for concerns
other than catching (and releasing) fish. Readings will include works
by Ernest Hemingway, M.R. Montgomery, Norman Maclean, Margot Page, Rick
Lyons, and John Gierach. Class will meet three times a week.
Evaluation will be based on a 10-page paper.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limited to 20.
Cost to student: $30 covering books and Xeroxes.
Meeting time: mornings.

WONG

HIST 015 "Look! Up
in the Sky!": The Comic Book Superhero in American Popular Culture, 1938-1988
(Same as American Studies 015)

This course will examine American comic books from the
late 1930s through the present, focusing on the emergence and evolution
of the comic book superhero as a series of cultural icons-efforts to craft
a national sense of heroic parameters and possibilities. Specific areas
of exploration will include the impact of World War II and the Cold War
on American popular culture; adapting the hero to an age of nuclear warfare;
gender constructions, women's liberation and women superheroes of the
1960s and 70s; and the emergence of the anti-hero over the 1980s.
The course will meet for two hours, three times a week, to view slides
and discuss readings. Reading will consist of both primary texts (comic
books), and secondary methodological and contextual readings.
In addition to informed and constructive participation in class discussions,
students will write a 10-page paper towards the end of the class, analyzing
a particular comic book or superhero.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limited to 20.
Cost to student: approximately $60 for books and Xeroxes.
Meeting time: afternoons.

F. DALZELL (Instructor)
WOOD (Sponsor)

Frederick Dalzell is the Albion Fellow in American Maritime
History at the Williams-Mystic Program.

HIST 016 "Once Upon
a Time:" American History through Historical Fiction (Same as American
Studies 016)

Over the past two hundred years, authors as diverse
as Washington Irving, Winston Churchill, Toni Morrison and Gore Vidal
have all tried to retell the story of our nation in their fictional writings.
This course will introduce students to some of the basic events and themes
of American History through a study of major works of historical fiction.
We will examine how several key turning points in our nation's past, such
as the American Revolution, the Civil War, and the Civil Rights Movement
have been represented and interpreted by different novelists and short
story writers over time. We will also compare some of these fictional
accounts with very short thematic concerns of novelists and professional
historians in an attempt to understand the broader relationship between
history and fiction. Some of the texts that may be covered in the course
include: James Fenimore Cooper's Drums Along the Mohawk, Charles Johnson's
Middle Passage, Gore Vidal's Lincoln, Michael Shaara's The Killer Angels,
Lewis Nordan's Wolf Whistle, and the films Last of the Mohicans, Gone
With the Wind, Glory, and Malcolm X.
Students in the class will be required to attend all class sessions and
will be given a choice between writing a 10-page interpretative essay
on several assigned texts or writing their own short work of historical
fiction. Class will meet three times a week.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limited to 20.
Cost to student: $30 covering books and Xeroxes
Meeting time: afternoons.

JESSICA MEYERSON '90 (Instructor)
WOOD (Sponsor)

Jessica Meyerson'90 is completing her Ph.D. in History
at Princeton University.

For Winter Study, would you rather go to a Pacific island,
the far reaches of the earth's atmosphere, the deep ocean, the Arctic
or Antarctic? You can do all that and stay in Williamstown by studying
how the activities of exploration and science became intertwined in Western
culture. Starting with the voyages of James Cook in the late eighteenth
century, explorers adopted modern science into their arsenal of tools
to discover, understand, and claim the natural environment in the name
of the nations they represented. This class will use primary and secondary
historical sources, as well as movies and historical literary sources,
to study how explorers of various portions of the globe used science to
define, utilize and control these newly discovered environments. Until
the nineteenth century, explorers were busy finding `new' lands and islands.
After most coastlines had been located, names and claimed by westerners,
explorers turned to the end of the earth-the deep ocean, the jungle, the
rainforest, the atmosphere, and the Arctic and Antarctic. In two projects,
a paper and a poster presentation to the class, students will investigate
the convergence of science and exploration for a natural environment of
their choice (categories will be: Distant Lands and Islands; Ocean and
Atmosphere; the Arctic and Antarctic). Questions addressed by the course
will include: how the theme of science and exploration became integrated
into our culture; and what the historical legacy of the conjunction of
science and exploration means for our contemporary understanding and use
of natural environments.
The class will meet for two hours three times a week.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limited to 15.
Cost to student: $30.
Meeting time: mornings.

HELEN M. ROZWADOWSKI (Instructor)
D. BEAVER (Sponsor)

Helen Rozwadowski, Williams '86, a double major in Biology
and English, has recently received her doctorate in the history of science
from the University of Pennsylvania. Her thesis work focused on the history
of nineteenth-century oceanography and exploration.

INTERDEPARTMENTAL PROGRAM FOR EXPERIMENTAL AND CROSS-DISCIPLINARY
STUDIES

This is a workshop for experimentation and invention
using digital production tools and software. All workshop participants
will work in one or more of the following areas: digital imagery (Photoshop,
Illustrator and Debabelizer); digital video and animation (Premier, After
Effects, animation works); Digital Audio (Sound Edit and Deck II); and
interactive programming (Director and HTML) towards the creation of an
on-line interactive project. We will also be reviewing existing interactive
media on and off-line and have the opportunity to participate in discussion
and lectures with visiting artists, authors and producers of new media.
Students will be evaluated on their final delivery of digital media and
on their ability to collaborate and work through design and production
problems in groups.
First priority will be given to those students who attended Inventing
New Media '97 or who have previous media or digital tools experience.
If you did not attend last year's workshop, please submit a paragraph
on your experience or send a work sample. Enrollment limited to 8.
Cost to students: $40.00 for removable storage of personal work (or three
zip discs) Although file server space will be allocated for workshop data,
each student will be responsible for storing back ups of their personal
working files.
Meeting time: morning lectures; afternoon labs. Some evening meetings/gatherings
may also be required.

The instructors' design and development work in both
the U.S. and the U.K. has focused mainly on commercial and educational
CD-ROM authoring and production. They have also consulted on projects
for Philips, Sony, Warner Brothers, and Macmillan Publishing. Their CD-ROM
PAWS (Personal Automated Wagging System-a navigational cartoon dog simulator)
was named best Children's Title of 1995, Cannes (Milia) and British Interactive
Media Award 1996.

Chess is a beautiful and very inspiring game. No game
has surpassed chess in its popularity in all countries for many centuries.
One of the oldest games, it has a history spanning 1400 years and has
offered inspiration to scientists, artists, and writers. Such is the subtlety
of the game that no one has been able to determine whether it is an art,
a science, a sport, or a combination of them all. This course will be
an introduction to the beautiful and inspiring world of chess. Topics
include basic principles: openings, middle-game and endings; mathematical
aspects of chess; general theory of a middle-game play; end-game strategies.
We will look at some famous games, discuss chess problems and organize
a tournament among students and computer programs.
Evaluation will be based on class participation and problem assignments.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limited to 12.
Cost to student: $50 for xeroxed materials and miscellaneous supplies.
Meeting time: afternoons.

Have you ever been bothered by the way contestants bid
on the Price is Right game show? How would you bid? Where would you drop
the Plinko chips? Have you ever wondered what good strategies are for
casino games? In this course, we will develop reasonable strategies for
various games. In addition, we will study such problems as how to split
an inheritance fairly among beneficiaries, how cities could save money
on the cost of garbage collection, and how airlines could improve their
efficiency. If you love games and you like to save money, this is the
course for you.
Evaluation will be based on regular attendance, class participation and
three or four short (three page) papers.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limited to 20.
Cost to student: under $50.
Meeting time: mornings.

LOEPP

MATH 012 How to Solve
it: The Mathematics of Puzzles and Games (Same as Computer Science 012)

Rubic's Cube, Instant Insanity, Spin-Out, Towers of
Hanoi, Nim, the Fifteen Puzzle. Fun? Frustrating? All of these puzzles
and games, and many more, have underlying mathematical structures which
can be exploited not only to help us discover solutions but also to allow
us to design new puzzles and games. In fact, studying games and puzzles
often gives us new insights into mathematics. In this course, we will
examine a variety of such puzzles and games, exploring the ways in which
mathematics helps us to describe, understand, and (hopefully!) solve them.
Evaluation will be based upon participation, completion of homework assignments,
and a project involving the use of mathematics in the analysis of an existing
game or puzzle or in the design of a new one. Class will meet three days
each week, for two hours each day.
Prerequisite: either Mathematics 103 (or higher) or the equivalent, or
both a compulsion for solving puzzles and permission of the instructor.
Enrollment limited to 30.
Cost to student: at most $50 for text, materials and/or puzzles and games.
Meeting time: mornings.

How do we know anything? Certainly none of us understands
the true workings of our minds, our society and of the universe, but still,
overall, at the day-to-day level, we seem to be able to think and to make
frequently accurate predictions. The very fact that we do have this partial
understanding of the world without having any real clue as its underlying
foundations tells us something deep about how the world is put together.
This has become a major theme in physics in the last 25 years, going by
various names such as renormalization, broken symmetry or emergence. Taking
these physics ideas and trying, by analogy, to apply them to questions
in the arts and humanities can help ease the despair created by modernism.
For the first forty years of this century, the intellectual world exploded
with new types of art and literature, giving birth to what is now called
`modernism'. But the initial excitement about this revolutionary change
eventually transformed into a despair and a disbelief in the very possibility
of progress. We were left with the belief that there are many methods,
all somehow equally valid and equally worthwhile.
This course will discuss, at a very intuitive level, the new physics ideas
of renormalization and broken symmetry coupled with the idea of complexity
from math and computer science. We will then try to apply, possibly inappropriately,
these ideas to issues in art, literature and the humanities.
Evaluation will be primarily based on a 10-page paper. Class will meet
three to four times per week.
No background in math, physics, and/or art is required. Enrollment limited
to 30.
Cost to student: $30 for books.
Meeting time: afternoons.

This course gives each student the chance to act as
a litigation lawyer in a full-fledged courtroom mock trial, complete with
witnesses, a judge, and a jury. To this end, students practice basic techniques
of interviewing witnesses, planning case strategy, conducting direct and
cross-examination, making and answering objections, and delivering an
opening statement and closing argument.
Preceding the trials, class sessions will meet four days per week for
two hours in the morning, with regular assignments for class presentations.
Students will be evaluated on the basis of attendance, class participation,
class presentations, and performance in the mock trials.
No prerequisites. Preference given to upperclass students. Enrollment
limited to 12.
Cost to student: $10 for materials.
Meeting time: mornings.

Both Lewis and Williams were members of The Inklings,
the remarkable group of British authors and thinkers who met regularly
at "The Eagle and Child" Pub in Oxford, where writers (Including Tolkien)
read their works in progress to one another. Lewis is well-known; the
works of Williams have received less recognition, but were admired by
W.H. Auden, Dorothy L. Sayers, and T.S. Eliot. Both Lewis and Williams
approached their work as staunch Anglican Christians, and their point
of view will be respected in this course; however, their novels can speak
to the lives of all readers who are sensitive to their own world and to
human relationships.
Students will read the Ransom ("Space") trilogy of Lewis (Out of the Silent
Planet, Perelandra, and That Hideous Strength) and three novels of Williams
(War in Heaven, Descent into Hell, and All Hallows' Eve) for discussion
in class, with emphasis upon themes such as co-inherence and substitution.
To qualify for a Pass, students must expect to attend and to participate
in all discussions and will write either (1) a 10- to 20-page short story
in the style of, incorporating some ideas of, or using literary techniques
of the six novels read, or (2) an expository paper of 15- to 20-pages
relating some or all of the novels read to other fiction by these two
authors or to works of comparable writers such as George MacDonald or
Madeleine l'Engle.
Enrollment limited to 18.
Cost to student: $40-50 for books.
Meeting time: mornings.

An historical approach to the music of Duke Ellington
and Bully Stayhorn, following the development of Ellinton's music from
the 1920's through his death in 1974. There will be extensive reading
and listening assignments.
The class will meet for six class hours per week and attendance at all
classes is expected unless excused for reason of illness.
A passing grade is assigned upon satisfactory completion of either a biographical
paper on an "Ellingtonian," or an analytical paper on an Ellington or
Ellington/Strayhorn composition.
Prerequisite: musical literacy sufficient to follow a score is required.
Enrollment limited to 30.
Cost to student: $30 for text plus approximately $100 for trip to New
York for concert.
Meeting time: afternoons.

A. JAFFE (Instructor)
KECHLEY (Sponsor)

A. Jaffe is Artist-in-Residence in Jazz and Director
of the Williams Jazz Ensemble.

This course will introduce students to the marimba music
and culture of Zimbabwe. Students will have readings and discussions concerning
Zimbabwean history and culture and will learn to play the marimba. The
course will culminate in a public performance in the last week of winter
study. The course will be taught by Professor Ernest Brown, director of
the Zambezi Marimba Band, who will be assisted by visiting artist-in-residence
Alport Mhlanga, a Zimbabwean composer, teacher and marimba player.
All students must be present for the first class. Students may miss no
more than one class and still receive a passing grade. Additional rehearsals
will be required on some weekends or evenings. Students must practice
on their own; this is an intensive workshop.
No prerequisite. Previous musical experience helpful, but not required.
Interested students must submit to Professor Brown a statement containing
their name, phone and SU number, explaining their musical background and
reasons for wanting to take the course. An audition may be required. Enrollment
limited to 12.
Meeting time: Students will be divided into two groups according to ability.
Beginners will meet in the morning, while more advanced students will
meet in the afternoon.

A chance to become acquainted with major styles of music
of the first half of the twentieth century and to attend performances
of representative major works in live performances by several major musical
organizations. Lectures in Williamstown will precede journeys to Boston
and New York to hear the Boston Symphony (Janacek), the New York Philharmonic
(new commissioned work and Copland) and the Metropolitan Opera (Britten,
Stravinsky.)
At the end of the month, students will write a paper summarizing the different
styles of the compositions heard, and reflect on the performance situation
now - perhaps new to them. A "Pass" grade is determined by attendance,
participation in class and at concerts, and the written paper due at the
end of the month.
No prerequisite. Not open to students who have had Music 101 or 103. Open
especially to those with no involvement in music on campus who wish to
find out about the musical experience. Enrollment limited to 15.
Cost to student: about $250 (four concert-opera admissions, transportation,
meals, two overnights in New York-we use group transportation and group
rates for lodging.)
Meeting time: morning, except for travel to out of town concerts.

A performance Winter Study project, the handbell choir
will rehearse two hours per day, five days per week. A five-octave set
of English handbells will be used. Repertoire will be wide-ranging, from
the classics to popular music, from original compositions to arrangements.
Difficulty of repertoire will depend on the skill of the ensemble as it
develops.
Ringers must be able to read music well, but no prior experience playing
handbells is needed. Bells are quite easy to play; ringers will be taught
various handbell ringing techniques, and go on to experience the process
and teamwork necessary to build a musical ensemble.
Each student must make at least one written arrangement for handbells
of a tune of their choice; the instructor will approve that choice and
assist in arranging if necessary. Each arrangement will be read by the
ensemble, and some will be rehearsed and performed.
The final week of winter study will consist of several performances of
materials mastered during the previous three weeks of rehearsals.
A passing grade is assigned upon satisfactory completion of at least one
arrangement and attendance at all rehearsals unless excused only for reason
of illness.
Current ringers welcome, as are others willing to learn. Enrollment limited
to 12.
Cost to student: none.
Meeting time: mornings.

D. MOORE

MUS 017 Singing School:
Popular Protestant American Religious Music (Same as American Studies
017 and Special 017)

For good reason, the Philosophy Department at Williams
tends to look at philosophical problems as developing out of historically
located texts and situations. There is another approach, however, which
is perhaps better suited to Winter Study: seeing philosophical problems
as arising from puzzles. We will spend January discussing such questions
as: Could God create a stone so heavy He couldn't lift it? Is this merely
a joke or does it show the impossibility of a perfectly omnipotent being?
Is the set of all sets that do not contain themselves a member of itself
or not? Why do some philosophers consider that last question one of the
great questions of the twentieth century? Do those philosophers have too
much time on their hands? We will examine puzzles from the Liar to the
Prisoner's Dilemma, in fields from metaphysics to ethics.
Requirements: class participation, an in class presentation, a paper,
a deep mind, and a sense of humor.
Enrollment limited to 30.
Cost to student: two to four paperback books.
Meeting time: mornings.

Plato placed the analysis of erotic love between men
at the very heart of some of his most powerful and important dialogues.
He linked eros to citizenship, military valor, human excellence, and the
practice of philosophy itself. He used its dynamic to shed light on some
of his most important notions, such as the distinction between nature
and convention, the relation of knowledge to virtue, the centrality of
citizenship for self-making, and the pervasiveness of desire as an issue
for politics and philosophy. At the same time, these dialogues enact a
complex, multi-vocal relation to their subject matter. Plato appears both
to celebrate and interrogate the pederasty of his time: rich in irony
and ambiguity, his works have been taken to provide a strong defense of
love between men and to argue for the transcendence of all erotic aims.
This seminar focuses on the ways in which the practice of pederasty among
the ancient Greeks has informed contemporary efforts to theorize sexuality
and to reflect more generally on the role of desire in social and intellectual
life. The course will begin with close and careful readings of texts,
to be selected from Plato's Lysis, Charmides, Symposium and Phaedrus.
We will then turn to late nineteenth and twentieth century studies in
which Plato's texts and Athenian practices have shaped a new discourse
on sexuality. Texts will be selected from works of: John Addington Symonds,
Sigmund Freud, K. J. Dover, Michel Foucault, Luce Irigaray, Jacques Derrida,
Martha C. Nussbaum, John Winkler, and David Halperin. Theoretical issues
will include the historical imbrication of Greek pederasty with misogyny
and sexism, the intersections between male same-sex desire and conceptions
of democratic citizenship, the role of nineteenth-century Hellenism in
England and Germany in mounting an ethical defense of same-sex love, the
continuing influence of models of desire derived from pederasty on "universalized"
conceptions of human sexuality, and the "queerness" of Plato's dialogues
themselves as exemplifying a radical form of situated reflection on the
conditions of desire.
Students will be invited to share in selecting particular topics and readings
and to take the lead in introducing discussions. They will be expected
to submit a ten page paper at the conclusion of the seminar.
Enrollment limited to 30.
Meeting time: mornings.

MORRIS B. KAPLAN (Instructor)
O'CONNOR (Sponsor)

Morris B. Kaplan Assistant Professor of Philosophy at
Purchase College, SUNY, returned to college teaching after several years
as a trial attorney with the Legal Aid Society of New York. Routledge
published his book Sexual Justice: Democratic Citizenship and the Politics
of Desire in March of 1997. In 1993-94, he was the inaugural Rockefeller
Foundation Fellow in Legal Humanities at the Stanford Humanities Center.

India is home to two of the most important projects
by modern Western architects in a non-Western society: Le Corbusier's
planned city of Chandigorh and Louis Kahn's Indian Institute of Management
in Ahmedabad. It is also a country in which vast population pressures,
and a complex set of cultural issues, raise acute problems for how to
structure the urban environment. This class will set an experience of
modern architecture in India in the context of philosophical and practical
questions about aesthetics, politics, urban planning, and cross-cultural
interaction.
We will fly to Delhi, and make excursions from there to Chandigarh and
Ahmedabad (Stopping, along the way, to see India's most famous piece of
architecture: the Taj Mahal). We will spend several days in each, walking
around the projects and talking about their more and less successful aspects,
and meeting in Ahmedabad with the Indian project-architect for both: Balkrishna
Doshi. We will also visit a number of Doshi's own buildings, and buildings
by the Indian modernist architect, Charles Correa. Correa has written
a fine book on urban planning in India, and to end out trip, we will invite
him to spend several days with us walking around contemporary structures
in Delhi, and explaining to us the variety of aesthetic and social issues
with which, in his opinion, architecture in India must now contend.
Each student must hand in a journal, in addition to a 10-page paper, or
a set of annotated drawings, or an architectural project he/she conceives
for one of the places we visit.
Enrollment limited to 25.
Cost to student: approximately $1680.

AMY REICHERT and SAMUEL FLEISCHACKER (Instructors)

Amy Reichert is a practicing architect who has taught
two classes in the Art History department. Samuel Fleischacker teaches
aesthetics as well as political philosophy. Both instructors share an
interest in modernism and India.

This course is an experience-based introduction to women's
issues in contemporary India. Rather than focus on the oppression of women,
we will look at the ways in which women are working to gain control of
and better their lives in three concrete contexts. To this end, we will
spend three weeks in India with three non-governmental organizations which
work in the areas of employment, small-scale fishing, and literacy. We
will begin by visiting the Self-Employed Women's Association in Lucknow,
U.P., an organization distinguished in the work it has done to provide
women loans, training, and access to markets so that they can control
the production and sale of handicrafts. Our second visit will be with
the coast-to-coast National Fishworkers' Forum. The NFF has been engaged
in a long struggle against large-scale mechanized fishing practices that
are destructive to the local environment and damaging to the livelihood
of small-scale fisherfolk. The site we will visit is in Trivandrum district
in the southern state of Kerala, where women, who traditionally have sold
the fish catch in the local market, have become increasingly active in
addressing women's issues through their involvement in the NFF. Finally,
we will visit Nirantar, a Delhi-based women's organization which works
on literacy for adult women. Nirantar has been involved in setting up
village-level community literacy projects in the state of Rajasthan, which
have become centres for women to mobilize politically: for example, soon
after beginning to attend literacy classes, women have marched on government
offices to demand that their water supply be improved; they have run for
local office; they have organized to support rape victims. Nirantar has
also establised a residential college for newly-literate women to study
general science, history, literature-a "liberal arts" curriculum. Through
readings, lectures, and discussions with organizers, fieldworkers, and
participants, we will seek to answer such questions as: what kinds of
issues are women's issues, in these contexts? What connections do women
draw between their own concerns and various social movements, such as
environmentalism? How have their new activities changed these women's
lives? Their views of themselves and their futures and the world? Their
relationships to their families and communities? What changes have women
brought about in the structures of their families and communities?
The areas we will be traveling through have much else to offer the traveler-more
than we can cover-but we will squeeze in tours of the historic Islamic
monuments of Lucknow, the backwaters of Kerala, a desert palace in Rajasthan,
and of course, the Taj Mahal.
Requirements: a journal to be kept during the trip, and a final project-written,
or in some other form (e.g., art work) to be determined by students in
consultation with the instructor. Ideally, this final project will be
something that we will be able to share with the people we have learned
from in our travels.
Prerequisites: no coursework, but flexibility, willingness to tolerate
some physical discomfort, and respect for local cultural norms are a must.
Note: interested students must consult the instructor before registration.
Enrollment limited to 10.
Cost to student: $2,500.

This course will examine the art and science of holography.
It will introduce modern optics at a level appropriate for a non-scientist,
giving the necessary theoretical background in lectures and discussion.
Demonstrations will be presented and students will make several kinds
of holograms in the lab. Thanks to a grant from the National Science Foundation,
we have seven well-equipped holography darkrooms available for student
use.
At the beginning of WSP, the class will meet for lecture and discussion
three times a week and for lab twice a week. Later classes will be mainly
laboratory. Students will be evaluated on the basis of regular attendance,
completion of four laboratory exercises, and a holography laboratory project
or a 10-page paper.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limited to 30. Preference will be given to
students with no previous college course in physics more advanced than
Physics 100.
Cost to student: about $50 for holographic film, chemicals, and photocopies.
Meeting time: morning lectures; afternoon labs.

JONES and FORKEY

PHYS 012 Meet the
Right Side of Your Brain: Drawing as a Learnable Skill

Representational drawing is a not merely a gift of birth
or a magical ability granted by angels, but a learnable skill. If you
ever wanted to draw, but doubted you had the ability or believed you could
not learn, then this course is for you. This intensive course utilizes
discoveries in brain research to teach representational drawing. By using
simple techniques and extensive exercises you will discover and develop
the perceptual shift from your symbol based left hemisphere to your visually
based right hemisphere. This cognitive shift enables you to accurately
see and realistically represent the physical world. You will learn to
draw a convincing portrait, self-portrait, and still life. This course
is designed to develop your powers of observation and enhance your innate
creative problem solving abilities, which are applicable in any field.
Students need no previous artistic experience, just the willingness and
desire to learn a new skill. Students will be expected to attend and participate
in all sessions. They will also be required to keep a sketchbook recording
their progress and complete a final project.
Evaluation will be based on participation, effort, and development. The
class will meet three times per week (about 10 hours lecture and group
exercises) with substantial additional independent student work.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limited to 30.
Cost to student: text and drawing materials (approximately $30).
Meeting time: afternoons.

The purpose of this course will be to provide an understanding
of the basic function of the major components of the modern automobile.
Through lectures, demonstrations, and hands-on experience, individuals
will learn basic maintenance of an automobile. In addition, students will
be expected to study in depth one of the major automotive systems which
include carburetor or fuel-injection systems, the lubrication and cooling
system, the electrical system, the steering, brake and suspension system,
and the power train for both manual and automatic transmissions.
The course will meet two hours a day, three times a week for classroom
instruction. In addition, students will meet at the Flamingo Motors in
Williamstown one evening each week for practical demonstrations and hands-on
activity.
Students will be required to attend class regularly, read assigned material
from the text, actively participate in work at the garage, and pass written
midterm and final examinations.
No prerequisites. Preference given to seniors. Enrollment limited to 30.
The class will be broken into three sections for lab work. Cost to student:
approximately $40 for text.
Meeting time: morning and evenings.

Every day we encounter claims of extra-scientific phenomena
such as telepathy, ESP, UFOs, astrology, faith healing, dowsing, and crop
circles. Are they real? Should you invest money in cold fusion research
or a device which liberates energy from the vacuum? Can one travel faster-than-light
or backward in time? How does one go about answering these types of questions?
This course will study the scientific methods used to access evidence
for phenomena that extend beyond the present boundaries of science. Readings
will include works by Carl Sagan and The Amazing Randi, a professional
magician who uses his special expertise to examine claims of psychic phenomena.
The class will meet three times a week for informal lectures and discussion.
Evaluation will be based in part on regular attendance and class participation.
In addition, students will work together in pairs to study some unusual
phenomenon in depth, and present their results to the class in a debate
format. The preparation and length of each argument will be equivalent
to at least a ten page paper.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limited to 30.
Cost to student: readings only.
Meeting time: mornings.

Several members of the department will have student
projects available dealing with their own research or that of current
senior thesis students. Approximately 35 hours per week of study and actual
research participation will be expected from each student. Students will
be required to keep a notebook and write a five-page paper summarizing
their work. Those interested should consult with members of the department
as early as possible in the registration period or before to determine
details of projects then expected to be available.
Prerequisite: permission of specific instructor. Enrollment limited to
1 or 2 per project.
Cost to student: none.
Meeting time: to be arranged with instructor.

How should people choose when the moral outcomes are
uncertain or difficult? We live in peaceable times and largely we escape
the moral dilemmas that others have had to confront. How would we have
chosen, how should we choose? The course will explore both real and fictionalize
treatments (e.g., Miller's play, The Crucible and Kazan's movie, On the
Waterfront). The materials will be both current and ancient (e.g., Sophocle's
Antigone and Philcotetes).
Requirements: class meetings and one essay. Class will meet three times
a week for two hours each session.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limited to 30.
Meeting time: afternoons.

Are you a conformist or a rebel? Do most rebels really
crave something worth conforming to? We will explore the character of
conformism and rebellion by attending to the character of the two recent
decades that symbolize each: the 1950's and the 1960's. The 1950's seemed
to establish a politics of contentment. But such contentment was never
as widespread as its celebrators assumed, and soon it in turn gave way
to the rebellion of the sixties. We live in the wake of the many reforms
enacted during that rebellion. To examine and assess the political legacy
of the sixties and the fifties, we will consider readings in social and
political thought and histories of the period, such as The Lonely Crown,
One Dimensional Man, The Organizational Man, The Feminine Mystique, Growing
Up Absurd, and Silent Spring. Selected films such as Rebel Without a Cause,
and Easy Rider will complement the picture gained through readings. Third,
we will consider various contemporary assessments of the 1960's in order
to inform our own assessment of their legacy.
Requirements: class participation and one 10- to 15-page paper. Class
will meet three times a week for two hours each session.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limited to 30.
Cost to student: approximately $100 for books and readings.
Meeting time: mornings.

MUIRHEAD

PSCI 012 The Politics
of Gender-Bending: Drag, Camp, Butch and Fem in the Life and Movies of
the End of the Twentieth Century (Same as Women's Studies 012)

In the last ten or twenty years, just about every mass-mediated
paragon of woman and man as Dustin Hoffman, Julie Andrews, Kurt Russell,
Barbra Streisand, Gérard Depardieu, Whoopi Goldberg, Robin Williams,
Ellen Barkin, Patrick Swayze, Wesley Snipes and the Canadian figure-skating
pair of Lloyd Eisler and Isabelle Brasseur have won acclaim for their
cross-dressed performances, fixed up as someone of the opposite sex. Even
though the 80s and 90s have been thought of as the rebound of political
conservatism after the 60s and 70s, the same era has been the renaissance
of gender-bending, to the point that even politicians have gotten into
the act: witness New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani's unlikely appearance
in early 1997 in full and lavish drag, as "Rudia Giuliandrews," alongside
not only four cross-dressed deputy mayors (two men and two women) but
accompanied by Julie Andrews in her get-up as a woman who plays a female
impersonator from the Broadway show Victor/Victoria.
This course asks the questions: What is going on here? And what is the
politics of this mass-mediated revival of gender-bending in recent film
and culture? How in the world do we make sense of Dennis Rodman or RuPaul
or k.d. lang? To figure this out, we'll spend some time focusing on the
politics of gender-bending in the communities that have been most devoted
to it-lesbians and gay men-and how the meanings of gender-bending in lesbians
and gay worlds have shifted as they've been gleefully adopted by society
as a whole. It may be that gender-bending does not really replace standard
notions of gender with androgyny; instead, the elevation of the feminine
"glamour queen" and the masculine "diesel dyke" may simply reinforce the
dualism of masculinity and femininity.
To explore these questions, we'll examine some historians, theorists and/or
practitioners of drag, camp, butch and fem. We'll study a number of movies,
beginning with two classic cases of cross-dressing (Queen Christina and
Some Like It Hot). Then we'll turn to more recent films that look at the
connections of gender-bending heterosexuality (Tootsie, Victor/Victoria),
with farce (La Cage Aux Folles), with defiance (Outrageous!), with "passing"
(The Ballad of Little Jo), with misogyny (Ménage), with race (The
Associate) politics high (The Crying Game) and politics low (The Adventures
of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert). Finally, we'll conclude with a look
at new subcultures such as women's bodybuilding and voguing (e.g., Pumping
Iron II: The Women and Paris Is Burning).
Requirements: inquisitiveness and independence, along with frequent attendance
at films, regular attendance at class (thrice weekly).
Evaluation will be based on a 10-page paper (or equivalent, including
videotapes, performances, etc.) at the end of WSP.
No prerequisites. All welcome. Enrollment limited to 30.
Cost to student: books and offset packet.
Meeting time: mornings.

This course deals with the peace settlements that established
democratic governments in Zimbabwe and South Africa. In particular, it
addresses the nature of the liberation movements, the reasons for and
outcomes of negotiations between the old regime and the liberation movements,
and the type of democracy that is emerging in Zimbabwe and South Africa.
The course will also consider how the new governments in Zimbabwe and
South Africa are developing new political institutions, how they are trying
to promote social equality, and how they are dealing with the poverty
and inequality they inherited from the white governments.
Requirements: class meetings and a 10-page paper. Class will meet three
times a week for two hours each session.
No prerequisites.
Meeting time: afternoons.

Zimbi Mubako (Instructor)
MacDonald (Sponsor)

Mr. Mubako was an important participant in the liberation
movement in Zimbabwe, has been a prominent official in independent Zimbabwe
(including the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs) and is
currently a Judge of the High Court of Zimbabwe. In addition, he has taught
in universities in Africa and Europe and is intimately familiar with South
African politics.

The gay rights struggle has occupied the attention of
courts, legislative bodies and agencies at every level of federal and
state government, as well as the public sector and the media. This course
will examine that movement's attainments, defeats and controversies, with
emphasis on the tension between the idealistic and the pragmatic. After
reviewing gay history and the paths taken by other civil rights movements,
this course will focus on specific issues: challenges to sodomy laws;
the military ban; purges of schools and libraries; workplace protection;
child custody disputes; and same gender marriage. Discussions will include
strategies and reactions used by both proponents and opponents of gay
rights, the use of state as well as federal constitutional arguments,
and both sides' activities at the national level.
Class will meet three times a week, two hours per class.
Requirements: class participation, reading and a 10-page paper.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limited to 30.
Cost to student: xerox packet.

JOHN D. RAWLS '65 (Instructor)
MACDONALD (Sponsor)

John Rawls '65 is a New Orleans attorney who has participate
in major gay rights litigation and in Louisiana politics.

The civil rights movement, though a quite recent historic
event, is generating a dynamic array of museums and memorials. These include
the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change in Atlanta,
Georgia and special museums in Montgomery, Birmingham, Selma, and Memphis.
These memorials range in subject matter. Some focus on the techniques
of King and the SCLC1; others on special recognition of those who gave
their lives; others on the details of specific local campaigns. This Winter
Study will visit and observe the development of these collections. The
goal is to undertake study and examination to determine how the story
is being developed in the exhibitions and how this relates to materials
available for classroom teaching through academic texts, including the
pattern(s) in use of multi-media. The group will meet with official curators
and benefactors of the museums and with persons active in the movement.
The WSP will convene at the beginning of January and begin background
discussion on civil rights campaigns and the museum movement to recognize
them. The group will arrive in Atlanta on the eve of the Martin Luther
King, Jr. national birthday and attend the ceremonies at the King Center
on Monday. We will then travel to sights in Birmingham (Tuesday), Montgomery
(Wednesday), Selma (Thursday), and Jackson (Friday) and culminate in Memphis
(Saturday). The group will then travel to Highlander, in New Market, Tennessee
for summary and reflection on Sunday and Monday. The group will return
to Williamstown on Tuesday.
Requirements: (1) a 10-page paper evaluating the strengths and weaknesses
in the coverage of the sites and (2) a mock guide for lay persons to assist
in selecting memorials to visit.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limited to 10.
Cost to student: $1,400 plus course packet.

This course explores the role of fantasy, imagination,
and magic in the lives of both children and adults. We will examine why
children love fairy tales, develop imaginary companions, and believe in
supernatural phenonmena. We consider why some children are more prone
to believe in fiction and fantasy than others, and what happens to these
beliefs in adulthood. For example, are adults who had a childhood imaginary
companion different from those who did not? Does belief in magic disappear
entirely in adulthood?
Evaluation will be based on active participation in class discussion and
a final 10-page paper.
No prerequisite. Enrollment limited to 15.
Cost to student: approximately $30.00.
Meeting time: mornings.

What makes people happy? Fame and fortune? Love and
fulfillment? Winning the lottery? Are men happier than women? Are the
young happier than the elderly? Is religious faith associated with happiness?
Does happiness vary by culture? In this course, we'll look at social psychological
research on the causes and consequences of happiness and discover the
(occasionally surprising) answers to these and other questions. We'll
also look at the other side of the coin: What makes people unhappy, how
people deal with tragedy and unhappiness, and what people regret most
in life and why. A theme throughout the course will be the application
of the various research findings to living our own happy lives.
Evaluation will be based on student participation in discussions as well
as a final 10 page paper.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limited to 15.
Cost to student: $15-20.
Meeting time: afternoons.

SAVITSKY

PSYC 013 Genetics
and Disease: the Biology, Psychology, and Ethics of Genetic Testing (Same
as Chemistry 013 and Special 013)

How much of a role do your genes play in disease? What
is genetic testing? What are the social and public policy issues surrounding
genetic testing? This course will provide current information on how disease-related
genes are identified, the availability and reliability of genetic tests,
and the actual testing methods in current use. We will consider the contribution
of genetic predisposition toward illness compared with other known risk
factors, including behavior, personality, and stress. We will also discuss
the myriad ethical, moral and economic issues that surround genetic testing
and counseling. With the completion of the Human Genome Project in 2005,
decisions regarding who will be tested and who will have access to this
information will be addressed by both judicial and legislative bodies.
Our goal for this course is to supply you with sufficient scientific information
and theoretical perspective that you will be able to make significant
contributions to the coming public discussion of these complex issues.
The class will meet three times per week for two hours. Approximately
50% of class time will be spent in group discussion of selected readings.
Students will prepare three written evaluations of case studies, and will
critique each others' writing in class. The final meeting will be devoted
to an in-class debate.
Evaluation will be based on participation in class discussions and debate,
and by the written assignments.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limited to 30.
Cost to student: none.
Meeting time: mornings.

What does it take to turn an ordinary person into a
cold-blooded killer? Under what circumstances will ordinary men and women
condone, accept, and encourage conditions of horror, humiliation, and
widespread cruelty? Why do some individuals give aide to victims of oppression
at the risk of their own lives? What influences the altruistic response
in people? How can we recognize the human potentials lurking within each
of us? These and other searching questions of human behavior will be explored
in order to better understand how people made the Holocaust possible.
We will examine the psychological extremes of human action as portrayed
in selected, rarely seen documentary films and eyewitness written accounts
of the most significant and traumatic event in twentieth-century history.
We will study an era which profoundly altered our understanding of human
nature and the extent to which human behavior can develop. Topics covered:
understanding violence and depravity versus care and compassion as human
motivators; the human response to bigotry and hatred; factors in human
denial and the distortion of reality; conditions of human bravery and
examples of self-sacrifice.
Requirements: attendance in class and a final exam.
Prerequisite: one of the following: an introductory course in psychology,
sociology, anthropology, criminology, history, or religious studies. Enrollment
limited to 30.
Cost to student: approximately $60 for books.
Meeting time: mornings.

ELIZABETH WILEN-BERG (Instructor)
GOETHALS (Sponsor)

Dr. Elizabeth Wilen-Berg is a licensed psychologist
in private practice in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. Dr. Wilen-Berg's mother
is a holocaust survivor who participated in the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising
in 1943 and was sent to a Nazi extermination camp.

Conflict is part of daily life and a common dynamic
of human relationships and interactions. While we may feel like avoiding
conflict, it is better to work toward resolution. In this course, we will
examine negotiating and resolving conflict from a win/win perspective.
We will examine what causes conflict and the role of communication in
its resolution including listening and assertiveness skills. We will examine
how to create an effective atmosphere for resolution, how to overcome
anger and mistrust, give and receive criticism, build positive power and
deal with difficult people. Through the use of videotaping and reflection,
we will focus on developing one's own style of handling conflict. Class
discussions will be based on assigned books, viewing of films and real
life case examples. Students will be required to complete readings before
class meetings, participate in class discussions and videotaping, keep
a journal and write a 10-page final paper.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limited to 15.
Cost to student: approximately $50.
Meeting time: mornings.

SUSAN CONKLIN (Instructor)
GOETHALS (Sponsor)

Susan Conklin, L.I.C.S.W., B.C.D. is a psychotherapist
in private practice in Williamstown. She is an adjunct assistant professor
at North Adams State College, Education Department, Graduate Division
and she is a human resource consultant and motivational speaker for corporations,
agencies and schools on various aspects of communication and relationships.

In this course we will look at Chinese Medicine from
the perspective of the Five Elements. We will look at the historical roots
and theory of Chinese Medicine, synthesizing Taoism and Confucianism.
To start, we will look at the Nei Jing, Lao Tzu and the I ching. The course
will focus on understanding the theory behind acupuncture and herbal medicine,
as well as the practical application of diagnosis and treatment. Students
will learn how to take pulses, do tongue diagnosis and find acupuncture
points. Each of the Five Elements will be discussed as well as the overall
theory that links different traditions of acupuncture together. The theory
and practical application from diagnosis to treatment will be covered,
as well as the significance of individual points.
The final 10-page paper will consist of a comparison between acupuncture
and another healing tradition. The students will be expected to show an
understanding of herbal medicine and the five element tradition of acupuncture
and be able to compare it to another form of medicine.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limited to 15.
Cost to student: $30.
Meeting time: afternoons.

LORLI HARDIGG (Instructor)
GOETHALS (Sponsor)

Lorli Hardigg received her B.A. from Dartmouth College
and then received acupuncture training in a three year master's degree
program from the Traditional Acupuncture Institute in Columbia, Maryland.
She is presently studying herbs in New York City. Ms. Hardigg currently
practices acupuncture in her office in Williamstown.

Students interested in teaching may submit applications
for a Winter Study assignment as a teacher's aide at Mt. Greylock Regional
High School or at the Williamstown elementary school. Those accepted will
work under the supervision of a regular member of the teaching staff and
submit a report on their work at the end of the Winter Study Period. This
project involves a four week commitment to full time affiliation with
the school. Interested students should consult before WSP registration
with Professor Kassin, 305 Bronfman. He will assist in arranging placements
and monitor students' progress during the four week period.
Criteria for a pass include full time affiliation with the school and
a final 10-page report. The final report should summarize the student's
experiences and reflections as drawn from a daily journal.
Prerequisite: approval of Professor Kassin required. Enrollment limited
to number of places available at the two participating schools.
Cost to student: none.
Meeting time: to be arranged.

Students interested in a full-time January placement
in a mental health, social service or applied psychology (e.g., advertising,
law) setting may consult with members of the Psychology Department to
make appropriate arrangements. Students should first make their own contacts
with an institution or agency. They should also arrange to obtain a letter
from a sponsor at the institution who will outline and supervise the student's
duties during January. The student must agree to keep a journal and to
submit a final paper summarizing and reflecting upon the experiences outlined
in the journal.
Requirements: a satisfactory evaluation from the institutional sponsor
and a 10-page final paper.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limited to 20.
Cost to student: none.
Meeting time: to be arranged.

Simply put midrash is Bible interpretation, written
commentary, imaginative takes on Bible stories. This course will focus
on mining some of the richer Bible stories, and characters, i.e., Abraham,
Sarah, Hagar, Ishmael, Isaac, Joseph, Miriam, Moses, Jesus, etc. and writing
about them. Poetry, prose, fiction, miscellany, anything goes. There will
be ongoing readings from a variety of sources (in addition to the Bible)
to root ourselves in the time these events took place before we make our
leaps. Those sources may include Louis Ginsberg's, Legends of the Jews,
or the Torah Anthology (Yalkut Ma'em Lo'ez).
Requirements: class participation and regular attendance. Students may
choose to write either: a group of poems; a one act play; a short story;
a prose piece; or a combination of each.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limited to 15.
Cost to student: $50 for books and xerox's.
Meeting time: mornings.

DAVID RAFFELD (Instructor)
DARROW (Sponsor)

A poet and writer, Williamstown resident, David Raffeld
has written widely on Bible stories, and has taught winter term courses
at Williams in the Department of Religion, Philosophy, and English. He
has also been a `Writer-in-Residence' in the Department of Theater for
the production of his Issac Oratorio.

The aim of this course in to enable student to read
the Book of Revelation with understanding. This book, written in the late
first century and canonized in the Christian scriptures, has exerted a
profound influence on the art, literature, film, and philosophy of history
of Western Culture. The course will seek to equip students to recognize
and appreciate this influence, but it will do so by giving primary attention
to the book itself, rather than to the uses to which it has subsequently
been put. To this end, Revelation's historical and literary background
will first be discussed, and then a close reading of the book will be
offered, with attention to its structure, symbolism, literary allusions,
and thematic development.
Lecture and discussion sessions will be held three days a week for two
hours.
Students will be evaluated on the basis of a 15-page writing assignment.
They will have their choice of (1) a take-home exam or (2) a paper in
which they will integrate the lecture, discussion and reading content
of the course as they engage a significant passage from the book of Revelation.
No prerequisites, but any of the following will enrich students' experience:
prior courses in religion, classics, or the history of the Greco-Roman
period; study of Greek; knowledge of the Hebrew Bible (to which Revelation
makes constant allusion). Enrollment limited to 30, with preference given
to juniors and seniors.
Cost to student: $73 for required textbooks.
Meeting time: mornings.

CHRISTOPHER R. SMITH (Instructor)
DARROW (Sponsor)

The instructor is the minister of the First Baptist
Church of Williamstown. He holds a Ph.D. in theological studies from Boston
College, where he was teaching assistant to Dr. Anthony Saldarini of the
Apocalypse Working Group of the Society of Biblical Literature's Genres
Project. Dr. Smith has published articles on the Book of Revelation in
several journals, including Novum Testamentum and The Journal for the
Study of the New Testament.

REL 025 From the
Classical to the Islamic Worlds in Jordan and Syria (Same as African and
Middle Eastern Studies 025)

In this project we will visit sites in Jordan and Syria
to investigate the archaeological and architectural remains of the classical,
late antique and Islamic periods in the area of the greater Levant. In
so doing, we'll develop a sense for both the profound changes that were
brought by the Islamic conquest of this area and also the continuities
that are also detectable. We will have the opportunity to spend an extended
period in Damascus, one of the oldest continuously occupied cities in
the world, and also get to know modern Amman, the capital of Jordan. We
will fly directly to Amman and spend a week in Jordan visiting Petra,
Wadi Rum and Aqaba, as well as sites closer to Amman including Jerash,
Pella Madaba and Mount Nebo. We will then travel overland to Damascus.
After several days in Damascus we will travel north to visit Palmyra,
Crac des Chevaliers, Buera. Lectures on the history and art of the region
and extensive visit to museums will round out our investigations. Each
student will arrange for a research focus with the instructor before departing
and prepare a descriptive/analytical paper upon return.
Enrollment limited to 15.
Cost to student: $2400.

"Fashion," Roland Barthes wrote, "is too serious and
too frivolous at the same time." As a product of culture, at once trivial
and essential, fashion exhibits a compulsion to create signs, to reproduce
changing meanings, and to fuel the perpetual play of difference and novelty.
The course will examine fashion as a system of communication, a network
of variable signs, a writing (on and of the body, an ideology of socially
constructed images of femininity, masculinity, and body form, a meeting
point for gender, class, and political relations of power, a system for
controlling the eroticized body, a temporal whirlwind of impermanence
and change, a process of appropriating and normalizing the new, a playing-out
of the forces of desire and consumption, an instrument for plundering
and recycling the styles of the past, and, finally, a reality of everyday
life constitutive of social order, collective fantasy, and personal self-definition.
We will focus attention on the oppositions that fashion expresses: between
the personal and the social, the private and the public, the mass-produced
and the individual, the old and the new, the artificial and the natural,
concealment and display, modesty and seductiveness, freedom and constraint.
Above all, we will explore the ways that fashion-in particular clothing,
perfume, and cosmetics, as mediated by the advertising, publicity, photography,
and "industry" of fashion-creates, reproduce, and disseminate a certain
kind of "imaginary" (Imaginaire), where fictions of desire, eroticism,
aesthetics, and myth circulate. Three general goals will orient our study:
1) to understand a theory of how the sign systems of fashion, fashion
history, and fashion advertising produce meaning and value within culture;
2) to examine the "imaginary" of desire, fantasy, and identity produced
by the creation and marketing of perfume; and 3) to analyze the "rewriting"
of face and body which cosmetics and makeup (and the phenomenon of the
"makeover") accomplish. Attention will be given to the history of fashion,
perfume and cosmetics, primarily, but not exclusively, in nineteenth-
and twentieth-century France; to the collaboration of designer, fashion
house, model, wearer, and spectator in the creation and dissemination
of fashion; to the creation of a "look;" to the link between fashion and
"spectacle," fashion and the makeup" from the psychoanalysis of dress
and the erotics of fabric to the sociology of fashion as "the ecstasy
of the new, the mirage of otherness" within society from the semiotics
of clothing as the endless play of difference ("signification with a message,
"Baudrillard) to the notion of fashion as the interlacing of desire and
death (Benjamin).
Requirements: class participation and one long paper (10-12 pages) on
an original research project. Class will meet three times a week for two
hours.
Prerequisite: prior permission of the instructor. Enrollment limited to
15, with preference given to juniors and seniors.
Cost to student: approximately $60 for books and offset packet.
Meeting time: mornings.

STAMELMAN

RLFR 011 Astérix
the Gaul: French Culture Through the Prism of the Comic

The longevity and popularity of the Astérix comic
strip series over successive generations of French (and foreign) readers
can be explained, in part, by its subtle and incisive rendering of Europeanism
through caricature. This course will examine some of the most enduring
texts in the Astérix saga as interpretations, first, of French
culture and the way the French view themselves with respect to the rest
of Europe and, second, of the way they view Europe in dialogue with French
cultural norms. Such issues as "la patrie" (homeland), linguistic characteristics,
the idea of France, French provincial distinctiveness, France's view of
a homogeneous national character seen through its own cultural diversity,
and the relationship of France to other specific regional cultures will
be studied as a way not only of defining the nation's historical legacy,
but of coming to terms with the way it sees its place within the vision
of European union. Among the texts to be studied will be Astérix
the Gaul, Astérix and the Banquet, Astérix and the Normans,
Astérix in Corsica, Astérix in Britain, Astérix and
the Goths, Astérix in Belgium, Astérix in Switzerland. Analysis
of the primary texts will be complemented by secondary cultural readings
by prominent interpreters of French culture. The course will be conducted
in English; readings will be in English, but those students who wish to
read the texts in the original French should make arrangements in advance
with the instructor. Three two-hour meetings a week.
Requirements: class participation and a 10-page paper.
No prerequisites.
Enrollment limited to 30.
Cost to students: books and reading packet only.
Meeting time: mornings.

This three-week intensive course in French language
and culture-for beginning, intermediate, and advanced students of French-brings
Williams students to Brittany, the French province known for its rugged
seacoast, mysterious forests, and Celtic myths. In the port-town of Lannion,
situated in the heart of Brittany, students will live, breathe and dream
in French, from arrival to departure. Courses in French language are tailored
to each student's linguistic level. In addition, students will simultaneously
improve their language skills and their understanding of French culture
by living with local families and by participating in excursions and field
work designed to familiarize them with the town and with Breton customs
and history. For three weeks, students will interact continuously in French
with citizens of all ages of Lannion. The program is organized by the
Ecole Internationale de Francais in Lannion.
Evaluation is based on students' active participation in all classes and
activities and linguistic progress.
This program is open to all sophomores, juniors, and seniors.
Cost to student: $1,600 plus transportation (a $750 non-refundable deposit
is required in mid-November.) This course is not defined as a "trip" for
financial aid purposes. The maximum reimbursement to financial aid students
is $300.

This course will explore the way in which Shakespeare's
works have been appropriated and adapted by film makers. Special emphasis
will be paid on the popular success (or failure) of recent film adaptations,
although a few previous versions will also be considered. At least one
film in a foreign language will be studied to examine how both text and
context have been translated into another culture. A tentative list of
films includes Chimes at Midnight, Grigori Kozintsev's King Lear, Derek
Jarman's The Tempest, Kenneth Branagh's Henry V, Franco Zefirelli's Hamlet
and Christine Edzard's As You Like It.
Screenings will be double features, two nights each week. The class will
meet three times per week for two hours. Students will be recommended
to read the anthology Shakespeare and the Moving Image: The plays on Film
and Television, edited by Anthony Davies and Stanley Wells, and other
readings will consist of articles and/or chapters from books.
Evaluation will be based on a paper (to be submitted at the end of the
course), on a specific film, or a particular aspect to be examined in
several film adaptations.
Enrollment limited to 20.
Cost to student: one book (recommended) and photocopies.
Meeting time: mornings.

Lorca is possibly the best known Spanish poet of the
twentieth century. His tragic death in the early stages of the Spanish
Civil War has given special relevance to his work. A life at the height
of its poetic production was cut short by assassins' bullets in an act
that has symbolized the senselessness and tragedy of that war. Fortunately,
however, Lorca's creative genius has left a monumental legacy to humanity,
and that will be the focus of this Winter Study: to get to know the different
facets of his poetry, to read some of his essays, and to read two or three
of his well known plays. Students will view films, listen to songs that
have used his poetry as lyrics, and, if by chance one of his plays is
performed in the vicinity, a tour group will be organized. The idea is
to catch a glimpse of Lorca's versatile personality and originality through
the readings of his poetry, drama, and prose, and perhaps stimulate in
the process a desire to delve deeper into his work. Class will meet three
times a week for two hours. Conducted in Spanish.
Requirements: a 10-page paper.
Prerequisites: Spanish 105 or permission of the instructor. Enrollment
limited to 30.
Cost to student: the cost of 4-5 paperbacks.
Meeting time: mornings.

Required of all students enrolled in Russian 101-102.
Three meetings per week, 50 minutes per session. Practice in speaking
and comprehension based on material already covered as well as some new
vocabulary and constructions. Designed to maintain and enhance what was
acquired during fall semester, using new approaches in a relaxed atmosphere.
No homework.
Regular attendance and active participation required to earn a "Pass."
Open to all.

This course is a step-by-step exploration in the ancient
technique of icon painting. It will introduce students to the history
and origins of this ancient art form and its symbolism and iconography.
The course will include lectures on the history of icon painting as well
as hands-on experience in traditional egg tempera technique used by Russian
Orthodox icon painters. This class requires no previous artistic training.
Each class will begin with a lecture and proceed to technical exercises.
Students will learn the following steps: 1) choosing and preparing an
icon board; 2) transfer and engraving the image; 3) application of clay
and gilding; 4) coloring schemes and procedures; 5) varnishing.
By the end of the course, students will produce three finished paintings
and a research journal. Two icons will be made in class under instructor
supervision. The third will be produced as an independent project. Students
will keep a journal throughout the class, which will serve as a guide
for future projects. Class will meet three times a week.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limited to 15.
Cost to student: $75.00.
Meeting time: mornings.

IVAR and ANNA KRONICK (Instructors)
GOLDSTEIN (Sponsor)

Anna and Ivar Kronick are professional painters and
have studied icon painting and conservation at the Repin Academy of Art
in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Ivar Kronick also worked at the Williamstown
Conservation Center.

"Colonial Picturesque" is a term which may be applied
to the impact on 18th- and 19th-century European settlers in South Africa
of their new and strange surroundings. They defined the alien landscape
through their particular "colonial gaze," profoundly influencing their
inevitable dominion in a strange land. In post-apartheid South Africa,
the current generation is adapting to the changing landscape of President
Nelson Mandela's vision for the future. A new sense of Africa and being
African is influencing and changing cultural and ethnic identity across
generational, racial, and political boundaries.
Either singly or in groups, students will deliver a five minute oral presentation,
from the point of view of a "new" South African living in a post-apartheid
era. Images evoking the cultural impact of recent events in South Africa-artworks,
photographs, film, or video clips for example--should be incorporated
into the presentation. Detailed research will be submitted at the conclusion
of the course.
Evaluation will be based upon participation in class, and the quality
of class presentations and research assignments.
The class will meet three times a week for two hours; there will also
be a three-hour lab session devoted to planning the final presentation
and researching appropriate materials.
Prerequisite: at least one course from one or more of the following departments:
Theatre; Art History; Political Science; History. Applicants who do not
fulfill this prerequisite but who believe that they have sufficient experience
in one of those disciplines, will be considered, space permitting. Enrollment
limited to 30.
Meeting time: mornings; afternoon lab session.

This course is a workshop for students with significant
experience in theatre at Williams. It will enable a limited number of
students to prepare one-act plays under the supervision of the instructor.
Workshop performances of these short works will take place at the end
of the WSP.
Evaluation of the students' work in the course will be based upon participation
in class, observation of the rehearsal process, and the quality and breadth
of a production portfolio documenting the materials used in formulating
the production. Individual and collective meetings with the instructor
will be required, and the instructor will attend a number of the rehearsals
of each play.
Prerequisite: significant work in production at Williams and permission
of the instructor. Interested students are required to consult with the
instructor prior to registration. Enrollment limited to 30.
Meeting time: afternoons.

This course will provide students with a general education
about rape and sexual assault in our society. Topics covered in the classroom
lectures and discussions will include: myths and realities of sexual assault;
child sexual assault; sexual harassment; crisis counseling; counseling
for special populations; the legal system and legal procedures as they
pertain to sexual assault; medical response to sexual assault; college
procedures; and talking with survivors of rape and sexual assault.
Students will be evaluated on the basis of attendance at every class session,
a final project which explores a topic related to course material, an
oral presentation of that project, and performance in role play situations.
Following the successful completion of this course, students may be eligible
to serve as members of the Rape and Sexual Assault Hotline of Williams.
Class will meet four days a week for two hours each session. Outside reading
will include Reclaiming Our Lives and relevant articles for each session.
Preference given to first-year students and sophomores. Letters of interest
must be submitted to Donna Denelli-Hess at the Health Center.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limited to 30.
Cost to student: $30 covering text and other readings.
Meeting time: mornings.

Are you interested in teaching? Do you enjoy working
with kids? Do you like to experiment with new things? Here is a chance
for you to do all three! The aim of this Winter Study Project is to design
a series of hands-on science workshops for elementary school children
and their parents. Students, working in groups of 2-4, will spend the
first three weeks of Winter Study planning the workshops. This will involve
deciding on a focus for each workshop (based on the interests of the students
involved) followed by choosing and designing experiments and presentations
that will be suitable for 4th-grade children. Then, on the third weekend
of Winter Study (January 24, 25) we will bring elementary school kids
with their parents to Williams to participate in the workshops. You will
get a chance to see what goes into planning classroom demonstrations as
well as a sense of what it's like to actually give a presentation. You'll
find that kids at this age are great fun to work with because they are
interested in just about everything and their enthusiasm is infectious.
You'll also be giving the kids and their parents a chance to actually
do some fun hands-on science experiments that they may not have seen before,
and you'll be able to explain some scientific concepts to them in a manner
that won't be intimidating.
Students will be evaluated based on participation in planning and running
the workshops and each group will be expected to write up descriptions
of the experiments included in the workshop it designs. The class will
meet three times a week for approximately two-three hours each time for
the first three weeks of Winter Study.
Prerequisites: there is no need to be a science major; all that is needed
is enthusiasm and a willingness to learn something more about topics that
may be somewhat unfamiliar.
There will be workshops on the third weekend of Winter Study (January
24, 25), so you will need to be available from approximately 9:00 AM -
3:00 PM on these days. There will also be one or two brief meetings late
in the fall term for some preliminary planning.
Enrollment limited to 20.
Cost to student: none.
Meeting time: mornings, see above.

SPEC 013 Genetics
and Disease: the Biology, Psychology, and Ethics of Genetic Testing (Same
as Psychology 013 and Chemistry 013)

How much of a role do your genes play in disease? What
is genetic testing? What are the social and public policy issues surrounding
genetic testing? This course will provide current information on how disease-related
genes are identified, the availability and reliability of genetic tests,
and the actual testing methods in current use. We will consider the contribution
of genetic predisposition toward illness compared with other known risk
factors, including behavior, personality, and stress. We will also discuss
the myriad ethical, moral and economic issues that surround genetic testing
and counseling. With the completion of the Human Genome Project in 2005,
decisions regarding who will be tested and who will have access to this
information will be addressed by both judicial and legislative bodies.
Our goal for this course is to supply you with sufficient scientific information
and theoretical perspective that you will be able to make significant
contributions to the coming public discussion of these complex issues.
The class will meet three times per week for two hours. Approximately
50% of class time will be spent in group discussion of selected readings.
Students will prepare three written evaluations of case studies, and will
critique each others' writing in class. The final meeting will be devoted
to an in-class debate.
Evaluation will be based on participation in class discussions and debate,
and by the written assignments.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limited to 30.
Cost to student: none.
Meeting time: mornings.

The course is in three parts. When successfully completed
it can lead to a certification as a National Ski Patrol member and certification
in Professional Rescue CPR. It will also be designed to teach wilderness
and outdoor emergency techniques.
The Winter Emergency Care Course designed by the National Ski Patrol is
the main ingredient. It will be supplemented by the professional Red Cross
CPR course "Respiratory and Circulatory Emergencies." An additional 14-hour
outdoor course in Ski Patrol rescue techniques will be taught. Passing
all three courses will certify the student as a National Ski Patrol member
if he/she is a competent skier.
The course will deal with wounds of all types, shock, respiratory emergencies,
poisoning, drug and alcohol emergencies, burns, frostbite and other exposures
to cold, strokes, bone, joint, and back injuries, and sudden illnesses
such as heart attacks, convulsions, etc. It will also teach the use of
all splints, backboards, bandages, and other rescue equipment. It will
teach extrication and other emergency situations and the use of oxygen.
The outdoor course will include rescue toboggan handling, organization
of rescues, and outdoor practical first aid.
Classroom work will include lectures, seminars, and practical work. There
will be a mid-term and a final exam which will be both written and practical.
Classroom hours will be held four or five days a week for three and one
half hours each day. The outdoor course will be held at Brodie Mountain
and Jiminy Peak two days a week from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Attendance
at all classes is mandatory. The course will be limited to 18 students,
chosen on the basis of skiing interest and ability and prior first aid
experience.
Cost to student: $85 which will include all materials and books.
Meeting time: mornings and afternoons.

JAMES BRIGGS (Instructor)
PECK (Sponsor)

Jim Briggs was the Outing Club director at Williams
for many years. He has led trips to the Alps on a number of occasions.

C.P. Snow in "The Two Cultures" wrote: "I believe the
intellectual life of the whole of western society is increasingly being
split into two polar groups....Literary intellectuals at one pole, [and]
at the other the scientists...Between the two a gulf of mutual incomprehension-sometimes
(particularly among the young) hostility and dislike, but most of all
a lack of understanding." This is true for the education of most of today's
doctors, who are taught to rely too heavily on just the scientific underpinnings
of their profession. Great physicians are scientists and artists.
This course is intended as an antidote to the dehumanizing experiences
many premedical students tolerate in the quest to obtain the M.D. degree.
It is open to premeds, as well as any student who is curious about a career
in the "health sciences" and may have been turned-off by the emphasis
on the required sciences. Through guest lectures, readings and open-ended
discussions we will consider various nontechnical aspects of being a doctor.
The subjects covered will include (but are not limited to) medicine and
the humanities, Service, medicine and culture, informatics, and the spiritual
aspects of health care. Medicine is a grand profession and for the right
person can provide an extraordinarily rewarding life. "The Art and the
Calling of Becoming a Doctor" will celebrate the humane aspects of health
care.
Students will be evaluated on attendance, class participation and a short
presentation.
Enrollment limited to 25.
Cost to student: around $30 for books.
Meeting time: afternoons.

David J. Elpern (Coordinator)
PAGÁN (Sponsor)

Dr. Elpern, a practicing physician, has organized international
conferences on the medical humanities for the past ten years.

SPEC 017 Singing
School: Popular Protestant American Religious Music (Same as American
Studies 017 and Music 017)

This performance-oriented class will explore the history
of popular Protestant sacred music in the United States, with a special
emphasis on music that might have been sung in the Berkshires from the
eighteenth to the early twentieth century-including sacred harp, Shaker
hymns, gospel, and African-American spirituals. Our premise will be that
this music can provide a valuable route to understanding the complex,
diverse religious and social cultures of New England. Outside of class,
we will be reading about U.S. religious movements and music history; we
will also be "reading" old hymnals, in part with an eye to selecting particular
hymns for interpretation and performance. Class time will be divided between
discussing the readings and singing. There will also be visits by local
historians and musicians, and possibly one master class by a scholar/performer
of early American music. The class will culminate with a concert, to be
held at a local site where some of these hymns were once sung.
Requirements: Students will be expected to meet 8-9 hours a week (three
discussions/rehearsals); during the last week, when preparing for the
concert, there may be one or two longer rehearsals. In addition to participating
in classes and the performance, students will be expected to work on a
group project-either an oral report on some aspect of the reading, or
the interpretation and teaching of one hymn to the class.
Evaluation will be based on all these activities.
Prerequisites: Singers are of course very welcome, but no previous singing
experience or particular talent is necessary-we'll be simulating a congregation.
Participants must, however, be willing to sing out.
Enrollment limited to 20.
Cost to student: approximately $30.
Meetings: afternoons.

A student is assigned to a local physician, dentist,
or veterinarian to observe closely his or her practice in the office and/or
at the North Adams Regional Hospital, Berkshire Medical Center (Pittsfield,
MA), or Southwestern Vermont Medical Center (Bennington, VT). It is expected
that a student will spend the better part of the day, five days a week,
with the physician or a period mutually agreed upon by the student and
the physician as being educationally significant. The program has proven
to be extremely successful in giving interested students a clear picture
of the practice of medicine in a non-urban area. An effort is made to
expose the student to a range of medical specialties.
A 10-page report written on some aspect of the month's experience is required.
Prerequisite: interested students must consult with Karen Theiling, the
Premedical Advisor, prior to applying for this course. Preference is given
to juniors, and then sophomores, whose course work has been suggestive
of a firm commitment to preparation for medical school. Enrollment limited
to 44.
Cost to student: none, except for local transportation.
Meeting time: to be arranged.

This course will examine current issues within the National
Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and how they affect Williams. Issues
to be addressed include: divisions of competition, athletic scholarships,
entrance requirements, recruiting, Title IX, and the overall operation
of intercollegiate athletics at Williams.
Students will be evaluated on the basis of regular class attendance and
participation, the submission of a research paper of at least 10 pages,
and an oral report on a behind the scenes look at a Williams athletic
contest.
Lecture discussion sessions will be held three times a week.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limited to 15.
Cost to student: $35, covering texts and photocopying charges.
Meeting time: mornings.

RICHARD QUINN (Instructor)
PECK (Sponsor)

Richard Quinn is Assistant Director of Public Information
and Sports Information Director at Williams College.

This course combines practical `hands-on' workshops
in editing, marketing, graphic design, and production/manufacturing with
lecture/teaching sessions conducted by professionals from all aspects
of the publishing process. Primarily devoted to book publishing, the purpose
of the workshops and discussions is to provide student with `real-life'
experience in actually performing the tasks they would at a publishing
house. Students will be given practical assignments in writing advertising
and publicity copy, and in preparing an overall marketing plan for a list
of forthcoming titles. Experienced professionals will lead the workshops,
which will include some on-site sessions at Storey Communications, a local
book publishing company in Williamstown. Students will develop a clear
sense of their own aptitude and ability in this profession.
We will meet three times a week for approximately three hours each session
for the first two weeks of Winter Study. Workshops and project preparation
may run longer during the third and fourth weeks. There may also be a
meeting held late in the fall term for some preliminary planning.
Students will be evaluated on the basis of regular attendance, class participation,
completion of the workshops and assignments, and on the preparation and
presentation of their publishing project.
Enrollment limited to 20.
Cost to student: none.
Meeting time: afternoons.

M. JOHN STOREY '65
H. ART (Sponsor)

M. John Storey '65 is owner and president of STOREY
COMMUNICATIONS, INC., a book publishing company.

Williams students participating in this Winter Study
project will work intensively with selected Roosevelt students on honing
their writing skills. Tutors will plan lessons in collaboration with two
English teachers, and then work closely with their classes. They will
also work individually with selected Roosevelt students. In addition,
the tutors, together with Williams teaching interns (see SPEC 028), will
meet with educators and teachers to discuss aspects of the educational
experience at Roosevelt. Tutors will have regular meetings with Prof.
Newman to discuss their work.
Requirements: active and reliable participation in tutoring and discussion
during January; participation in several brief orientation meetings before
January (including one half-day trip to TRHS), and a 5-10-page report
of some sort at the end of the program.
Prerequisites: strong interest in working with young people and in writing.
Enrollment limited to sophomores, juniors and seniors.
Cost to student: approximately $350 for transportation and food. We will
attempt to find housing for tutors and interns. Consult with instructor.
Meeting time: to be arranged.

Participating students are expected to pursue a full
schedule of observing, teaching, tutoring, etc. at Roosevelt High School
for the four weeks of January, under the overall direction of Mrs. Janet
Saraceno, Assistant Principal for English. Interested students should
consult with Dean of Admission Phil Smith, at Mather House, who will arrange
for several orientation meetings on campus and a one day visit to Roosevelt
in December, prior to the Winter Study Period.
Criteria for a pass include full-time affiliation with Roosevelt for the
month, keeping a daily journal, and submitting a 5-10 page report at the
end of WSP, reflecting upon and summarizing the month's learning and experiences.
Prerequisite: successful completion of orientation program. Enrollment
limited to 12 sophomores, juniors, and/or seniors interested in urban
education.
Cost to student: some food and transportation costs. Dean Smith will attempt
to arrange housing for the month.
Meeting time: to be arranged.

Have you ever looked at an airplane in the sky and asked,
"What keeps it up there?" Or, "How do they navigate when the weather is
bad and they can't see the ground?" Or, better yet, "How can the weather
be predicted with any degree of accuracy and can I do it?"
These and other questions will be explored in this course. It will be
divided into the following three sections: 1) Why a plane flies. This
part will consist of the fundamental principles of physics involved in
flight and a brief description of piloting (but no in-flight instruction).
2) Navigation, or how do you get there from here. Included will be the
use of navigational charts, radio and radar navigation, in-flight computers,
and celestial navigation. 3) Meteorology, or can I really predict the
weather. Included will be fronts, high and low pressure areas, winds,
cloud formations, precipitation, weather maps, and aviation forecasts.
We plan to visit the Albany control tower and radar control center. For
those interested in getting a pilot's license, the information in this
course is part of ground-school requirements for the written FAA exam.
Enrollment limited to 30.
Meeting time: mornings.

Objective: To learn to express thought, feelings, opinions,
and stories in song form. To develop communication as an outgrowth of
personal expression, and to acquire the skills necessary to perform original
works in a public setting.
Class will meet three times a week, culminating in a public performance
of material written during the course. Students should expect to spend
6-8 hours a week in class, in addition to working on assignments and preparing
for performance. Enrollment limited to 15.
Cost should not exceed $25 (books, notebooks, and copies of lyrics for
the class).
Meeting time: afternoons.

BERNICE LEWIS (Instructor)
FIX (Sponsor)

Bernice Lewis is an accomplished singer and songwriter
who has performed her work throughout the country. She lives in Williamstown.

Each class will begin with a lecture-demonstration,
followed by practice on the potter's wheel. Each student will have the
use of a potter's wheel for each class. We will work on mugs, bowls, pitchers,
plates, jars, lids, vases, and bottles, and will finish these shapes as
required by trimming and adding handles, lugs, lids, spouts, and knobs.
We will also work on several different handbuilding projects. After to
tenth class session, all class work will be biscuit-fired. The eleventh
class will be devoted to glazing the biscuited pieces. Glazing techniques
will include pouring, dipping, layering, brushing, and stamping, and using
wax resist and other masking techniques to develop pattern and design.
The completed work will then be glaze-fired. The last meeting will be
devoted to a "final exam" gallery show of your best work. Woven into lecture-demonstrations
will be presentations on various topics relating to the science and history
of pottery making.
The two most important requirements for this course are attendance at
all class sessions and enthusiasm for learning the craft of pottery making.
Enrollment limited to 9.
Cost to student: $120 plus makeup class fees ($20 per class) if applicable.
Meeting time: mornings.

RAY BUB (Instructor)
Sponsored by the Winter Study Committee

Ray Bub is a ceramic artist and potter at Oak Bluffs
Cottage Pottery in Pownal Vermont. He also teaches pottery making at Southern
Vermont College.

An opportunity for up to three students to observe and
practice and teach and tutor at St. Aloysius School in Harlem for the
four weeks of January, under the direction of Mrs. Laurel Senger, Principal.
Interested students should consult with Dean of Admission Phil Smith at
Mather House, who will arrange for orientation meetings and a visit to
St. Aloysius in December, prior to Winter Study.
Criteria to pass include full-time affiliation with St. Aloysius for the
month, keeping a daily journal, and submitting a 5- to 10-page report
at the end of WSP, reflecting upon and summarizing the month's learning
and experiences.
Enrollment limited to 3 sophomores, juniors, or seniors, interested in
urban education.
Cost to student: some food and transportation costs as well as some housing
costs, if the student is not able to find housing for the month. Dean
Smith will attempt to arrange housing for those unable to find their own
accommodations.

Ever wondered how much was spent to build Lasell Gymnasium?
Or what building was previously on the site of Thompson Chapel? What about
the person for whom your dorm is named? The aim of this course is to introduce
students to historical research using the variety of primary and secondary
resources available in Sawyer Library and the College's Archives. These
resources will enable us to research and to compose essays that will illuminate
the histories and meanings behind the campus facades, monuments and sites
that we so often take for granted. Student work is planned for inclusion
in a proposed interactive historical campus map project. Students will
be responsible for producing a building/site essay and biographical sketches
of individuals related to the site (approximately 10 pages), and for selecting
visual and/or documentary materials to illustrate or expand the essay
and sketch(es).
Class will meet three times a week, and significant research outside of
class time is expected.
Prerequisites: permission of instructors. Enrollment limited to 6.
Cost to student: $30 for books and photocopies.
Meeting time: mornings.

LEE DALZELL and SYLVIA KENNICK BROWN (Instructors)
CUTLER (Sponsor)

SPEC 038 Science
and Computer Science in an Elementary School Classroom

In an increasingly complex technological world familiarity,
education, and training become all important for success in any field.
Today's world of science demands demands a scientifically literate population.
To foster national science literacy, education at the elementary level
is an ideal first step. Debate rages on elementary science education;
however, educational experts agree on the following points: 1) children
need a balance of content (information and concepts) and process (activities
and experiments); and 2) children must find science interesting, enjoyable,
and pertinent. One avenue for practice of these points is occurring at
Williamstown Elementary School. Williams College is collaborating with
WES to bring hands-on inquiry of nature and seeking answers that give
meaning to their experiences. The students learn about science by doing
science rather than reading textbooks and memorizing facts. Every class
is equipped with computers analysis and graphing software. Williams students
in this program are paired with WES teachers. Working closely with the
classroom teachers, students develop curriculum appropriate experiments,
activities, computer work, and demonstrations which support inquiry based
science. The class requires ten hours a week most of which will be spent
in classroom (WES is located across from the tennis courts). Regular meetings
will be held to discuss elementary school science reform and science/computer
instruction. A 10-page paper on each student's Winter Study experience
will be due at the end of the term. There will be a meeting in early December
to match those enrolled with teachers.
Prerequisites: desire to work with children and teachers, interest in
science, a basic knowledge of computers (no programming experience necessary).
Enrollment limited to 12.

JENNIFER SWOAP (Instructor)
ZOTTOLI (Sponsor)

Jennifer Swoap is the Science Liaison for the Williamstown
Elementary School and Williams College. She has been a systems consultant
for Andersen Consulting and has taught third grade, computer science,
and high school physics.